Safer Child Products

April showers may bring May flowers but April is also Child Abuse Prevention Month.  One thing we don’t always think about when we think about Child Abuse is Shaken Baby Syndrome.  Shaken Baby Syndrome results when an infant or young child is violently shaken, which causes swelling, bruising and bleeding in the brain.  Infants have very heavy heads and weak necks and violent shaking makes the brain bounce around inside their skull.  This can lead to permanent brain damage, blindness, or death. According to Medline Plus, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000004.htm Shaken Baby Syndrome can occur after as little as 5 seconds of shaking! Symptoms of injury may not be immediately noticeable.  They may also be symptoms of other problems or illness, so it is very important to seek Medical Attention immediately!  You may notice that the baby has become lethargic, having difficulty breathing, or difficulty feeding, or they may develop seizures. Go to Medline Plus for more information on Symptoms of Shaken Baby Syndrome and what to do if you think your baby is injured. Many cases go unreported but often with immediate treatment, death can be avoided.

As explained in http://www.medicinenet.com/shaken_baby_syndrome/page3.htm Shaken Baby Syndrome is NOT caused from gentle bouncing of baby on the knee and rarely from jogging with baby in a backpack.  Shaken Baby Syndrome is caused by Purposeful, Violent Shaking and that is child abuse. Contact the authorities in your state if you suspect abuse.