Shaken baby syndrome, also called abusive head trauma, is an injury to the brain that happens when a baby or young child is shaken or thrown. Shaking an infant or child, even for just a few seconds, can lead to serious injury. The average age of victims is 3-5 months old, though children as old as 5 years old can suffer from this type of injury.
Some parents may worry that falling during play or bouncing may cause shaken baby syndrome, but this is not true. Naturally, you will want your baby to play safely to avoid injuries, but the only way for a child to get shaken baby syndrome is when someone violently shakes the child, almost always in frustration. It is damaging because a baby’s neck muscles are still weak and may not be able to hold up the head very well.
Symptoms of shaken baby syndrome include:
• Irritability
• Lethargy
• Trouble staying awake
• Difficulty breathing
• Vomiting
• Tremors
• Poor appetite
• Pale, bluish skin
• Seizures
• Paralysis
• Coma
• Bleeding in the brain
• Spinal cord damage
• Bone fractures
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