How Much Shaking Is Too Much for a Baby
Shaken infant syndrome is a severe form of child abuse acquired by violently shaking an baby or kid.
Shaken baby syndrome can occur from as little as five seconds of shaking.
Shaken infant injuries most frequently occur in children younger than ii years old, but may be seen in children up to five years old.
When an infant or toddler is shaken, the brain bounces back and along confronting the skull. This can cause bruising of the encephalon (cerebral contusion), swelling, pressure, and bleeding in the brain. The large veins along the exterior of the brain may tear, leading to further haemorrhage, swelling, and increased pressure. This can easily cause permanent brain harm or decease.
Shaking an infant or minor child may cause other injuries, such as damage to the cervix, spine, and eyes.
In about cases, an angry parent or caregiver shakes the babe to punish or quiet the kid. Such shaking most often takes identify when the baby is crying inconsolably and the frustrated caregiver loses control. Many times the caregiver did not intend to harm the infant. Still, it is a class of child abuse.
Injuries are most probable to happen when the baby is shaken then the infant's caput hits something. Even hitting a soft object, such as a mattress or pillow, may be enough to injure newborns and small infants. Children'due south brains are softer, their neck muscles and ligaments are weak, and their heads are big and heavy in proportion to their bodies. The result is a type of whiplash, similar to what occurs in some auto accidents.
Shaken babe syndrome does not result from gentle bouncing, playful swinging or tossing the child in the air, or jogging with the child. It as well is very unlikely to occur from accidents such as falling off chairs or down stairs, or accidentally beingness dropped from a caregiver's arms. Brusque falls may cause other types of head injuries, although these are frequently minor.
The symptoms can vary, ranging from mild to severe. They may include:
- Convulsions (seizures)
- Decreased alertness
- Extreme irritability or other changes in behavior
- Languor, sleepiness, not smiling
- Loss of consciousness
- Loss of vision
- No breathing
- Stake or bluish skin
- Poor feeding, lack of appetite
- Airsickness
There may non be whatsoever physical signs of injury, such equally bruising, bleeding, or swelling. In some cases, the condition tin exist difficult to diagnose and may non exist found during an part visit. However, rib fractures are common and can be seen on x-rays.
An centre doctor may notice bleeding behind the baby'south eye or retinal detachment. There are, nevertheless, other causes of bleeding behind the centre and they should be ruled out before diagnosing shaken baby syndrome. Other factors must be considered.
Call 911 or your local emergency number. Immediate emergency treatment is necessary.
If the kid stops breathing before emergency help arrives, begin CPR.
If the kid is vomiting:
- And yous do not remember there is a spinal injury, turn the child's head to one side to preclude the baby from choking and breathing in vomit to the lungs (aspiration).
- And y'all do think there is a spinal injury, carefully curlicue the child's whole body to one side at the same fourth dimension (every bit if rolling a log) while protecting the neck to prevent choking and aspiration.
- Exercise not choice up or shake the child to wake him or her up.
- Do non attempt to give the kid anything by oral cavity.
Call your wellness care provider if a kid has any of the above signs or symptoms, regardless of how mild or astringent they are. Likewise call if you think a kid has shaken infant syndrome.
If you think a child is in immediate danger considering of neglect, you should phone call 911 or the local emergency number. If you lot doubtable that a child is existence abused, report it right away. Nearly states accept a child corruption hotline. You may also use the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (i-800-422-4453).
These steps can help subtract the risk for shaken infant syndrome:
- Never milk shake a baby or child in play or in anger. Even gentle shaking tin can become violent shaking when you are angry.
- Do not hold your babe during an statement.
- If you find yourself becoming annoyed or angry with your baby, put the baby in their crib and exit the room. Try to calm down. Telephone call someone for support.
- Call a friend or relative to come up and stay with the child if you lot feel out of command.
- Contact a local crisis hotline or kid corruption hotline for help and guidance.
- Seek the help of a counselor and attend parenting classes.
- Do not ignore the signs if yous suspect child abuse in your home or in the home of someone you lot know.
Shaken affect syndrome; Whiplash - shaken baby; Child abuse - shaken baby
Carrasco MM, Wolford JE. Child abuse and neglect. In: Zitelli, BJ, McIntire SC, Nowalk AJ, eds. Zitelli and Davis' Atlas of Pediatric Diagnosis. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap vi.
Dubowitz H, Lane WG. Abused and neglected children. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap sixteen.
Duhaime A-C, Christian CW. Inflicted trauma (kid abuse). In: Winn HR, ed. Youmans and Winn Neurological Surgery. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 225.
Updated by: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Besides reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Managing director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Managing director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
How Much Shaking Is Too Much for a Baby
Source: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007578.htm