Lubbock County’s child abuse rate is two times the average child abuse rate for the state of Texas. In 2009, Covenant Health saw 20 confirmed cases of shaken baby syndrome and it is estimated that there will be 20 to 25 confirmed cases in 2010. Amy Campbell, pediatric trauma coordinator for Covenant Health System, discusses shaken baby syndrome and explains what Covenant is doing to prevent it from happening again.
- Shaken baby syndrome is a form of child abuse that occurs when a child is shaken until there is bleeding in their brain. The brain starts to bleed as a result of from hitting the child’s skull.
- Babies cry for a variety of reasons. Crying is a baby’s way to tell his/her parents that they need basic things, such as to be fed or have their diaper changed. Premature babies and medically needy babies tend to cry more than healthy babies and some babies cry for no reason at all.
- Instead of shaking their baby, parents should go through all the basic steps to comfort their baby. Parents first should try to feed, change and hold their baby when he/she is crying. If that does not work, the parent should place the baby in a safe place like a crib or playpen. Parents should then shut the door if possible and walk away to regroup.
- Babies suffering from shaken baby syndrome often do not display physical signs unless they are suffering from other forms of abuse as well. Babies with shaken baby syndrome may be unresponsive and more irritable. They also may start to vomit more frequently.
- Shaken baby syndrome can cause bleeding in the brain, brain swelling and bleeding in the eyes behind the retinas. It can also cause long-term brain damage, blindness and even death.
- Shaken baby syndrome can be prevented by increasing parent’s knowledge of what effects shaking a baby can have on them physically. Covenant Health started a program called “Period of Purple Crying” to help educate parents about shaken baby syndrome. Every parent whose child is born at Covenant or has their child admitted to Covenant are asked to watch a DVD on shaken baby syndrome before they and/or their child is discharged. The DVD covers the basics of shaken baby syndrome, tells parents why babies cry and explains that crying is normal.
- Covenant Health also has a simulator doll that is used at times to show parents exactly what happens when a baby is shaken. This doll has a clear plastic head with an electronic brain. When the baby is turned on, it starts to cry. If the baby is shaken, the parts of the brain that are damaged from it hitting the skull light up. Parents are then informed what effects damaging that part of their baby’s brain will have on the baby’s development.
Many people don’t realize shaking their baby is a form of abuse, Campbell said. Many parents are not aware that the majority of babies who suffer from shaken baby syndrome die and most that do survive suffer from life-long disabilities.