What can happen to a child as a result of shaken baby syndrome?

What can happen to a child as a result of shaken baby syndrome?

When an infant or toddler is shaken, the brain bounces back and forth against the skull. This can cause bruising of the brain (cerebral contusion), swelling, pressure, and bleeding in the brain. The large veins along the outside of the brain may tear, leading to further bleeding, swelling, and increased pressure.

What can be mistaken for shaken baby syndrome?

Collagen disorders such as Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, and others are recognized to make patients susceptible to bone fragility fractures, subdural hemorrhage, retinal hemorrhage and bruising. Child abuse experts often dismiss collagen disorders, or never even test for or consider them.

Can jiggling cause shaken baby syndrome?

Playful interaction with an infant, such as bouncing the baby on the lap or tossing the baby up in the air, won’t cause the injuries associated with shaken baby syndrome. Instead, these injuries often happen when someone shakes the baby out of frustration or anger.

What type of head injury is shaken baby syndrome?

Closed brain injury. Closed brain injuries are usually caused by car accidents, falls, and increasingly, in sports. Shaking a baby can also result in this type of injury (called shaken baby syndrome).

Is it OK to shake baby to sleep?

When they are shaken, the brain slams back and forth inside the skull, resulting in bleeding around the brain and damage to the brain itself. Some babies may even stop breathing, which can cause further brain damage. The shaking can also cause bleeding into the back of the eyes.

What happens if I accidentally shook my baby?

If a baby is forcefully shaken, his or her fragile brain moves back and forth inside the skull. This causes bruising, swelling and bleeding. Shaken baby syndrome usually occurs when a parent or caregiver severely shakes a baby or toddler due to frustration or anger — often because the child won’t stop crying.

Can a baby fully recover from shaken baby syndrome?

The majority of infants who survive severe shaking will have some form of neurological or mental disability, such as cerebral palsy or cognitive impairment, which may not be fully apparent before 6 years of age. Children with shaken baby syndrome may require lifelong medical care.

Is Shaken Baby Syndrome illegal?

In many cases when the child lives criminal charges of assault, aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child are filed against the father of the child or the boyfriend of the mother. Normally a defendant will face a mandatory five year minimum jail sentence for these charges.

What are 3 immediate consequences of shaking a baby?

When a baby is shaken hard by the shoulders, arms, or legs, it can cause learning disabilities, behavior disorders, vision problems or blindness, hearing and speech issues, seizures, cerebral palsy, serious brain injury, and permanent disability.