Are These Symptoms Serious

Melind Stanfield

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• Publié par: Chiwyog
• Nombre de lectures: 22
• Langue: English

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Canandaigua Medical Group Never Shake A Child Sue Herendeen, RN August 2002 Shaken Baby Syndromeis a term used to describe the injuries young children and infants receive from being vigorously shaken.An estimated 50,000 children are affected by SBS each year  just in the United States.One in four children die as a result of this form of abuse. The victims of SBS range in ages from a few days to five years old.The average age is 6 to 8 months. Abuse is not limited to any specific group of people, however, males tend to be the primary group of perpetrators.In the United States, males in their early twenties, whether they are the child’s fathers or the mother’s boyfriend, are typically the shakers.Female abusers are more likely to be a babysitter or childcare provider, other than the mother.The events leading up to shaking a baby are reportedly from the frustration from a crying baby, toileting problems, or jealousy of the attention that a child receives from the shaker’s partner. SBS happens when a child is held by his arms, legs, chest or shoulders and shaken forcefully. The violent shaking can cause bleeding around the brain and eyes, resulting in brain damage, learning disabilities, speech problems, mental retardation, paralysis, seizures, blindness, hearing loss and death. A baby’s head is large and heavy and their neck muscles are weak, this makes them vulnerable to injury when put into the motion of shaking and jerking.A young child’s brain is not fully developed into its protective layer, the space between the brain and skull leaves room for the brain to travel and gain speed before impacting against the skull.Similar to placing JellO in a sealed container and shaking it side to side.The brain strikes the inside of the skull as the head forcefully moves back and forth.The brain starts to bleed, causing swelling and pressure inside the skull. The diagnosis of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) can be difficult to make, unless someone confesses to what happened. SBS often presents as an alleged fall, difficulty breathing, seizure or altered state of consciousness.The injury is often defended as a result of attempted resuscitation. Babies with severe shaking are typically brought into the hospital unconscious, but sometimes the shaking is less severe and causes subtle symptoms.These are easily missed or misdiagnosed as a mild viral illness, infant colic, or feeding dysfunction.These symptoms include vomiting, poor feeding, lethargy, or irritability. In some cases of SBS results are not known immediately.It takes time until the child grows and presents with learning difficulties, motor dysfunctions and behavior problems, it may be many years before all of the effects of SBS are identified. Education about the dangers of SBS is vital in the effort to stop this horrible abuse.Any professional or experienced caregiver that interacts with parents and young children can aid in these efforts.Teach parents that a crying infant should never be shaken, teach them to place to child in a safe location and leave the room.Teach them to call for help if they feel themselves losing control. Daycare providers should be screened for their knowledge of infant behavior and how they handle stressful situations, such as a crying baby.There are several agencies that will help a parent or caregiver that feels an impulse to shake a child, callCHILDHELP (8004ACHILD)or theNational Child Abuse Hotline(8004224453).

QUALITY CARE FOR ALL AGES ©Copyright Canandaigua Medical Group, 2004 335 Parrish Street ∙ Canandaigua, NY 14424 (585) 3932888 www.canandaiguamedical.com

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Canandaigua Medical Group A baby that has been shaken is lucky if he/she survives, most of them will have life long effects because someone could not control their anger and avoid hurting an innocent child.Always remember, special care must be taken when handling children and they must never be shaken, for any reason.

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Your doctor knows you and your family best. Nothing takes the place of talking directly with your doctor about your health and questions that you have. The information provided here is not medical care or treatment and is not specific to your situation. You need to contact your own doctor for your medical care.

QUALITY CARE FOR ALL AGES ©Copyright Canandaigua Medical Group, 2004 335 Parrish Street ∙ Canandaigua, NY 14424 (585) 3932888 www.canandaiguamedical.com

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