Shaken Baby Syndrome is a term used to describe the very serious injuries that can happen if a baby is roughly shaken. Rough shaking causes a baby's head to whiplash back and forth. The jerking motion can cause blood vessels inside the brain and behind the eyes to tear and bleed. Compared to adults and older children, babies have fragile brains that are still developing. Babies' heads are heavy and their neck muscles are weak; this is why their heads have to be supported. Babies are more at risk they are because their brain and body haven't yet developed fully however, there have been SBS victims as old as five years old. Even a few seconds of shaking can cause a baby to have lasting brain damage or even die.
- 20% - 33% of the known SBS victims die.
- Many SBS survivors have life long disabilities such as:
- blindness,
- paralysis,
- growth and development disabilities,
- eating problems,
- mental disabilities,
- and/or seizure disorders.
- Even victims who seem OK at first may have problems such as learning and attention difficulty in school when they are older.
Play activities like being bounced gently on a knee or swinging in an infant seat, do not cause the type of injuries seen in Shaken Baby Syndrome. But, when doing any activities that may cause jarring, be sure that the baby's head and neck are well supported. If you are not sure that an activity is safe for your baby, don't do it.