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Shaken Baby Syndrome is caused by vigorously shaking an infant or small child.
When someone forcefully shakes a baby, the child's head rolls around the neck uncontrollably. Babies' heads are relatively large and heavy, making up about 25% of their total body weight. Their neck muscles are too weak to support such a disproportionately large head.
This violent whiplash movement pitches the infant's brain back and forth within the skull.
- This sometimes ruptures blood vessels and nerves throughout the brain and tears the brain tissue.
- The brain may strike the inside of the skull, causing bruising and bleeding to the brain.
- Babies' brains are immature and more easily injured by shaking.
- The damage can be even greater when a shaking episode ends with an impact such as hitting a wall or a crib mattress, for example.
Common triggers are frustration or stress when the child is crying. Unfortunately, the shaking may have the desired effect: although at first the baby cries more, he or she may stop crying as the brain is damaged.
Normal interaction with a child like:
- Bouncing the baby on a knee
- Placing a child in an infant swing
- Jogging with them in a back pack
will not cause the brain, bone, and eye injuries characteristic of shaken baby syndrome.
However, it's important to never shake a baby under any circumstances because gentle shaking can rapidly escalate.
Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head trauma is a form of violent abuse. It is the leading cause of traumatic death in North America. Up to 30% of abused infants die from their injuries. In Canada, 85% of inflicted head trauma survivors required long-term care.
Physical Consequences of Shaking
What Happens
- The brain rotates within the skull cavity, injuring or destroying brain tissue.
- When shaking occurs, blood vessels feeding the brain can be torn, leading to bleeding around the brain.
- Blood pools within the skull, sometimes creating more pressure within the skull and possibly causing additional brain damage.
- Retinal (back of the eye) bleeding is very common.
| Immediate Consequences |
Long-Term Consequences |
- Breathing may stop or be compromised
- Extreme irritability
- Seizures
- Limp arms and legs or rigidity/posturing
- Decreased level of consciousness
- Vomiting; poor feeding
- Inability to suck or swallow
- Heart may stop
- Death
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- Learning disabilities
- Physical disabilities
- Visual disabilities or blindness
- Hearing impairment
- Speech disabilities
- Cerebral Palsy
- Seizures
- Behaviour disorders
- Cognitive impairment
- Death
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More Information & Contact
For more information please call the health unit for more information at 519.482.3416 or toll free at 1.877.837.6143.
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