Shaken baby cases on the increase

Massachusetts child abuse specialists say that cases of “shaken baby syndrome” which can cause devastating brain injury to infants have at least doubled in the last few months. They attribute the increase in frequency to economic stress on families in this challenging economy. Shaken baby syndrome is preventable. Near the end of this article, you will find a link to information about prevention. I bring this to your attention because shaken baby syndrome occurs right here in Traverse City and its environs as well.

In fact, one of the most tragic cases that I’ve ever worked on was a shaken baby case. This was early in my career when I did court-appointed work in neglect and abuse cases. In that case, the father was sentenced to prison for 10 years. The mother terminated her parental rights and the child, a special needs child who would always need extensive supervision and care, was adopted by foster parents.

According to the Boston Globe, child protection teams at Children's Hospital in Boston and Mass General have investigated more than twice as many shaken baby syndrome in the last three months compared with the same period last year.

Research shows that economic stress is linked to increased child abuse, according to the Globe. Child protection workers say issues like layoffs and other stressors, such as utilities being turned off because of nonpayment are often linked to shaken baby cases. 

Shaken baby syndrome occurs when an adult violently shakes a baby. This often occurs is the adult is under stress and overwhelmed  by a baby’s crying. A baby’s neck muscles are too weak to support the head. This can, if the baby is shaken, expose a baby’s fragile brain to potentially overwhelming injury. Research shows that about one in four victims die; severe neurological problems usually occur in the other victims. 

Many factors can lead to shaken baby syndrome such as

•     Economic stress
•     Immaturity of parents and lack of support systems
•     A feeling of helplessness, hopelessness or inadequacy by inexperienced parents
•     The number of children in the family (and the various stressors this means)
•     Social isolation of some parents
•     Breakdown in family systems – increase in one-parent families and also in multiple  relationships (new boyfriends, for example)

    The watchful eyes and ears of friends, family and neighbors can help prevent shaken baby syndrome. Here are some other valuable resources:

Preventing shaken baby syndrome – tips from the Massachusetts Shaken Baby Syndrome Initiative

Reporting child abuse - information and resources

Shaking a baby shatters lives – an article on Updates in Michigan Family Law with links to resources

Read the Globe article Shaken baby cases on the increase here

Comments

[JB Corban]

I am an adult survivor of shaken baby syndrome. This happened when I was about 7 months old. It was kept a family secret for nearly 40 years, with my father still in denial. I was always told that "the babysitter dropped me on my head." Funny, when I began to do research on various ailments I began having in my mid to late 30s, I began to connect the dots. My family admits that I had a skull fracture, a concussion, and stopped breathing, hence needed CPR, and then a shunt to drain the fluid around my brain once admitted in to the hospital. These types of injuries don't just happen as a result of being dropped or falling out of he pumpkin seat, etc. Now, I am dealing with neuro-optical palsy in three of the six nerves that control my eye muscles. It really is no surprise to me that this has happened, as my father was abusive throughout my childhood -- to my mother, my brother, and to me. My family stayed in tact after all these years, buy now I am dealing with the consequences. I am one of the fortunate ones who survived and managed to get by this long with no major physical damage, until now. However, the emotional challenge of dealing with a parent who is vehemently in denial and thus perpetuating the psychological abuse by insisting "it never happened" is heart-breaking. I find that I am asking myself, "Why? What did I do to deserve this?" I forgive my parents, perhaps out of a basic need for acceptance and that unconditional bond that goes along with sharing one's genes. At the same time, I am angry. Abuse is often a cycle that never ends; it is the family curse that, unless deliberately broken with God's help, keeps going on. I understand parents get frustrated, they feel helpless, and they don't know what to do. Please, if you are a parent that feels this way, get help. Set the baby down in a safe place and call someone, anyone, who can help you. If you shake your baby there may be no immediate life-threatening consequences. Sometimes, however, the consequences don't show up until long after the act. Think first, pray, and walk away if you need to.

[Jeanne M Hannah]

Thank you so much for writing. Your message is such an important one. You are so right. Parents need to recognize that they may be at a flash point for abuse and they need to take a deep breath and walk away.

You of course did not deserve this abuse. No child deserves to be abused. You recognize that your parents do not have the capacity to acknowledge what they did to you (or allowed to happen to you.) Some abused children decide to love that hurt little child -- that innocent beautiful child inside of their adult bodies. I hope that you may be able, in your thoughts, to hold that child, wrap the child in your arms and your love, and let him or her know just how beautiful and loved the child is.

Thank you for speaking on behalf of all of those children out there who suffer abuse . . . every day.