Why you can't shake the baby in your arms. When and how the body of a newborn can shake: symptoms of tremor of the chin, limbs, lower lip. Situations that cause the formation of the syndrome

08.04.2019

If an adult has a tantrum or panic attack, what do we usually do? We try to take him by the shoulders and shake him well. This helps him to calm down. But do the same in a similar situation it is categorically impossible with a small child under two years old, because this can lead to his death.

Unfortunately, in our country, the registration of children who would die from shaken baby syndrome (SBS) - syndrome baby concussion(SDS), not maintained. However, there are statistics for the United States, which say that in this country about 2 thousand babies die up to a year after they were sharply shaken. However, nowhere is it reported how many children became disabled. Last year, American doctors raised the issue of bringing parents who have done this to their child to justice through the courts.

Why does concussion syndrome occur?

Even a slight shaking of the child within a few seconds can cause SDS. Also, a sudden rocking of the stroller when there is a baby in it, a light slap on the head and even tossing the baby up can also lead to the syndrome of a shaken child. Very often, this SDS occurs when a baby gets into a car accident.

And the reason for this lies in the physiology of the crumbs: he has too big head but the muscles holding it are too weak and thin. Because of this, in young children under two years of age, too high sensitivity to sharp movements arising from shaking their bodies. With sharp oscillatory movements there is a rupture of blood vessels in the child's brain and in the retina of his eyes.

More details about what happens when the baby is shaken can be seen in the 3D video below:

Video source: oopshan

Why is SDS dangerous?

Concussion syndrome in a third of cases leads to the death of the child. Those babies who survived after that remain disabled for life: they develop blindness, deafness, convulsive seizures, hydrocephalus, children cerebral paralysis, developmental retardation and inability to learn.

If the child is constantly crying, sleeping poorly, or suffering from colic, the parents may lose control. Probably every mother had a moment when she shook the baby in a state of anger and despair. The stress levels of some parents (especially those without outside help) can go off the charts.

Even before the baby is born, it is extremely important for parents to understand basic aspects safe behavior with child. The first pillar is the organization of safe sleep. Second important point- this is the avoidance of risky physical manipulations with the child.

Shake Syndrome (shaking baby)- an extremely dangerous phenomenon.

What's happening? An adult shakes the child (usually in a fit of anger or irritation) or throws the child onto the bed. Shaking like this could result in lethal outcome or significant brain damage. The neck muscles of a newborn and an infant are not yet so strong, during shaking, the head dangles back and forth, rupture of blood vessels, damage to brain tissue, and cerebral hemorrhage can occur.

Shaking is dangerous for children under five years of age.

The greatest risk to health and life exists before the first year of life. The saddest cases occur before 8 weeks of life: during this time babies cry a lot.

Normal interaction with a child is safe. It is the strong shaking, the throwing of the child on the surface that is dangerous. Sometimes in a fit negative emotions parents can start to rock the child very sharply and strongly: this is also dangerous. The motion sickness should be smooth and gentle.

Most accidents associated with shaking children occur when the child is being looked after by the father and not the mother. For example, dad was asked to sit with the child or help put him to bed.

If you are just getting ready to become a parent, it is important for you to understand the dangers of shaking your baby in advance.

If you are on the verge of a breakdown, it is better to put the baby in the crib and leave the room for a while. If you are not yourself, it is better to leave the child crying than to shake him.

Be sure to seek help if you have one. However, make sure that your assistants understand the aspects of safe behavior.

You can find useful tips in these articles:

What is shaken baby syndrome?

Shaken baby syndrome is a type of child abuse. This is brain damage that occurs in a child. This happens when someone shakes the child, slaps him, or throws him on objects. The child can shake hands, feet, chest or shoulders.

Some experts refer to this phenomenon as shake and shock syndrome, because injury from hitting a child on a surface can be equated with shaking. Many doctors use the term violent head injury or intentional head injury.

Shaking Baby Syndrome occurs when the baby does not stop crying and the caregivers shake the baby because of the irritation. In order to prevent this problem, learn to reduce stress and tension, carefully select people who will look after the child.

Routine play, such as rolling a baby on your knees or tossing a baby in mid-air, does not cause shaken baby syndrome.

Shaken baby syndrome is most common in children under 3 years of age and among this age group more common in children under 1 year of age. But children up to five years old can suffer from this phenomenon. Shaken baby syndrome can cause serious long-term problems.

What causes brain damage?

Shaking a child, throwing it, hitting objects - all this causes uncontrolled movements of the head forward, backward and around its axis. Brain tissue, blood vessels, and nerves are all torn apart. The baby's skull can damage the brain, causing the brain tissue to bleed and swell.

Young children are much more likely to have brain injury because they have:

Large and heavy heads in relation to head size.

Weak neck muscles that do not support the head well enough.

Thin blood vessels in the brain.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms vary in children according to age, how often they are abused, how and with what force.

With minor injuries, symptoms may be subtle. The child may feel nauseous, nervous or grouchy, passive, and the child may have decreased appetite. More serious injuries can cause seizures, slow heartbeats, hearing problems, and internal bleeding in one or both eyes.

It is very important to seek help if you think something is wrong with your child. At first, shaken baby syndrome has subtle symptoms, but head injury, especially in young children, can be very dangerous. A child who has difficulty breathing, loses consciousness, or has seizures should be hospitalized immediately.

Symptoms can start to develop very quickly, especially if the injury is severe. In other cases, symptoms of a brain tumor may take several days to develop. Very often, the person who shook the baby puts the baby in the cradle, hoping that after resting, the symptoms will subside. By the time the child gets to the doctor, he needs emergency help... In some cases, the child may fall into a coma before someone asks for help.

Children affected by shaking also experience other results of abuse, such as broken bones, bruises, and burns.

How is shaken baby syndrome diagnosed?

Doctors may suspect shaken baby syndrome when parents or nannies give vague or ever-changing information about what happened to the baby. For example, a nanny may first say that a child fell out of bed and later claim that the injury was due to another child or pet.

Shaking baby syndrome is very difficult to identify because very often there are no clear signs of child abuse. The child may be sick, he may have poor appetite, he may be jittery or lethargic. At first, these symptoms may appear to be related to an infection, such as the flu or meningitis. Unfortunately, you may not know that shaking baby syndrome has caused the child to be injured until the abuse is repeated or the child is harmed more.

Doctors test for shaken baby syndrome in several ways. They ask for the child's medical history. They can spend physical check and do a blood test. They can also perform imaging checks such as x-rays, CT scan, or MRI, will help check if there was a hemorrhage or injury.

The doctor may test to rule out other conditions. For example, a lumbar puncture can be used to check for signs of meningitis in the cerebrospinal fluid. Blood found in this sample may indicate shock injury.

A doctor who suspects shaking baby syndrome should report it to the local child health organization and the police.

If you suspect child abuse but this moment the child is out of danger, contact your local child rights center or the police. Do not get into conflict with the person who may abuse the child. This can harm the child.

What are the treatments?

A child affected by shaken baby syndrome should be hospitalized, sometimes in a ward intensive care... Oxygen therapy can be used to help the baby breathe. Doctors can give a child medications in order to reduce brain tumor. Sometimes refrigerated mattresses can help lower a child's temperature as well as reduce brain swelling. A child who has had a severe cerebral hemorrhage may need surgery.

Depending on the symptoms, the doctor may try anti-seizure medicine, physical therapy, or other treatments.

What are the long-term Negative consequences from shaken baby syndrome?

About 1 out of 4 children who are violently shaken or thrown at an object will die from their injuries. Those who survived may have brain and vision problems for life. These problems include:

Seizures are sudden bursts of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The child may have unpleasant muscle movements and may not be able to speak, see, or interact normally.

Muscle stiffness (muscle spasticity) resulting in stiff and awkward movements in the child.

Mental retardation that can affect all areas of a child's life, for example, the ability to speak or the ability to look after oneself in the future.

Blindness or vision problems.

Lagging in physical and emotional development.

Behavior and learning problems - These can only appear when baby will go to school.

How many parents know what Concussion Infant Syndrome is? And why not shake the child, why not toss the child or throw him on the bed? All these actions can lead to grave consequences, up to lethal!

Concussion infantile syndrome (CHS) is also known as post-concussion syndrome, concussion syndrome, concussion syndrome, and shaken child syndrome. All of these names mean one thing: brain damage from a head injury in a child.

Concussion infantile syndrome (CHS) can result from blows to the head, tossing or dropping a toddler, or violent shaking.

SDS is one of the leading causes of infant death in the United States. Due to its special anatomy, the infant is susceptible to great risk from the listed actions, therefore the majority of victims are children under one year old.

But SDS can also be found in children under 5, although average age for diseases - from 3 to 5 months. The peak comes at 6-8 weeks of age, when babies cry the most.

Injury methods

Concussion syndrome is caused by an injury caused by someone (most often a parent or caregiver). The reason is strong shaking of the child or a strong blow to the head.

In most cases, the one who looks after the child and cannot calm his crying in any way begins to shake him out of anger or hopelessness. Unfortunately, such actions can lead to a completely undesirable effect: at first, the child screams and cries even more, and then may stop abruptly, because the brain has been damaged.

If there are several children in the family, children with special needs, colic or GERD, their chances of SDS are increased. Boys are more likely to suffer from the disease than girls, and children living in low-income families or below the poverty line are more likely to experience both SDF and other types of childhood trauma from parental abuse.

In 70% of cases, male representatives are guilty of child injuries- fathers or stepfathers, often young age... But anyone who is unable to cope with emotions and overcome anger, and who is also prone to the use of force, can resort to vigorous shaking of the child in order to calm him down. Alcohol abuse is also a common cause of SDS.

When the person shakes the baby violently, the unsecured head dangles because the weak neck muscles are not yet able to properly support the head. As a result, the child's brain is also not in a static state, the membranes of brain cells are torn, blood vessels are torn and tissues are damaged. All this can provoke hemorrhage under the lining of the brain.

The situation can be aggravated by such an adult's action as throwing the child onto the bed with force. Swelling in the brain due to violent shaking can cause large internal pressure, constrict blood vessels and further injure the fragile brain of the child.

Habitual play with children, light throwing or tossing of a child on his knee does NOT lead to this injury. But you can not, under any circumstances, SHAKE the child.

Concussion Syndromes: Consequences

SDS leads to irreversible consequences, and in 1 out of 4 cases leads to the death of a child.

The consequences can be:

complete or partial blindness;
hearing loss;
epilepsy;
delay in mental development;
speech disorders and learning problems;
problems with memory and attention;
serious mental retardation;
paralysis.

Even if, after a strong shaking, the child looks absolutely normal outwardly, after a while one of the symptoms mayall the samemanifest. Most often, the problem occurs withoutanyexternal signs of damage, and problems with behavior, memory or learning become evident only during the period when baby goes to school.

But by that time it was already difficult to judge the connection of such violations with the actions of parents many years ago.

Shaken baby syndrome: symptoms

Each case of SDS is affected by the severity and duration of exposure, the frequency of use of force, and possible other forms of violence. In the most horrific cases, children are admitted to the trauma department unconscious, in a state of shock or seizure. But in most cases, since serious symptoms do not appear immediately after injury, children are not examined.

Concussion syndrome, symptoms that should alert you:

lethargy;
irritability;
vomit;
inability to swallow;
decreased appetite;
Bad mood and quiet behavior;
rigidity;
seizures;
breathing disorder;
blue discoloration due to lack of oxygen;
loss of consciousness;
unequal pupil sizes;
unable to raise your head;
inability to focus or move.

Shaken Baby Syndrome: Diagnosis

Most cases of DFS are considered “causeless injuries”. In other words, parents and caregivers often fail to associate SDF with injury or shaking, so doctors cannot diagnose the disease right away. Thus, the child's injuries can often not be succumbed. medical analysis or not identified by specialists.

In many cases, children without serious consequences or impairments do not receive medical examination... Symptoms such as vomiting and irritability, for example, may not be related to the injury and will go away over time.

Unfortunately, in cases where the doctor has no suspicions ill-treatment With a baby, symptoms such as lethargy, fussiness or lack of appetite are mistaken for a virus or colic. That is, the absence of suspicion of child abuse by the parents or caregiver may cause further repetitions of forceful actions and worsening of the child's brain damage.

If doctors suspect SDS, the signs are:

hemorrhages on the retina of the eye;
damage to the skull;
swelling of the brain;
subdural hematomas (blood clots press on the surface of the brain);
broken ribs and long bones(bones in arms and legs);
bruising around the head, neck, or chest.

Developing and teaching a child with concussion syndrome

The reason SDS is so serious and destructive is because it often causes generalized traumatic brain injury. For example, a child who has a severely impaired vision will not be able to use his vision when studying the world around him, therefore, the child's general ability to learn is sharply reduced.

Development of speech, vision, balance and coordination can also be felt Negative influence SDS. Such impairments may require intensive physical and occupational therapy to help the child acquire skills that would develop normally if they did not have a traumatic brain injury.

As they grow up, these children may require individualized learning and ongoing language and general therapy to help with the simplest daily tasks.

How to prevent concussion syndromes

The chances of preventing concussion syndrome are one hundred percent. The basis for this is public awareness of the potential threat of shaking a child.

Possible ways to alleviate stress for parents and caregivers at critical times can also significantly reduce a child's risk of DFS. Exists special programs in hospitals, through which parents learn how to respond to crying and what the use of force on a child is fraught with.

The National Program All Children Cry in the United States informs the public about ways to overcome parental anger and irritation during child crying and promotes healthy parenting children. There are four categories in the program:

Why is crying the norm?
How to calm your child
Parenting psychology
How to deal with colic

There is also a special program that helps parents understand and accept the reasons for crying, and also suggests ways to stop crying.

Method W-P-S-P-K

Sh-noise: white noise or other noise similar to that which the child heard while in the womb. You will be helped by a vacuum cleaner, hairdryer, dryer, tap water or a special apparatus to create white noise.

P-positionlying or on its side:(position on the left side - to help the child digest food, on the stomach - while the parent is holding the child, on the back - sleep)

C-nipple: breastfeeding, bottle, nipple or finger

P-swaddling: a child wrapped in a blanket like a burrito will help him feel safe. The hips and legs may be on the outside or slightly covered.

K-swing: Slightly rocking in a chair, in a cradle, or driving a car can help a child feel similar vibrations they experienced in their belly.

If the baby keeps crying

If the baby continues to cry, try the following:

make sure that the baby is full and does not need to change the diaper;
check or the child is not sick;
shake or scold the child in your arms;
speak or sing to the child;
give your baby a pacifier or toy;
give your child a ride in a stroller or in a safe child seat in car;
hold the baby close to you and breathe slowly and calmly;
buy in a warm bathroom;
stroke the back of the child;
ask someone to help you take a break and look after your child;
if there is no result, put the child in the crib, close the door to the room and observe his behavior for 10 minutes.
call the doctor if the baby does not stop crying as there may be a medical reason.

To prevent SDF, parents and caregivers need to learn how to manage their stress. It is important that the caregiver knows not to be shaken under any circumstances, the dangers and consequences of childhood injuries.

How many parents know what Concussion Infant Syndrome is? We will tell you why you shouldn't shake the child, why you shouldn't throw the child up or throw him on the bed. The fact is that all these actions can lead to serious consequences, up to lethal!

Concussion infantile syndrome (CHS) can result from blows to the head, tossing or dropping a toddler, or violent shaking.

SDS is one of the leading causes of infant death in the United States. Due to their special anatomy, babies are at great risk from these activities, so most victims are children under one year old.

But SDS can also be found in children under 5 years of age, although the average age for the disease is 3 to 5 months. It peaks at 6-8 weeks of age, when babies cry the most.

Injury methods

Concussion syndrome is caused by an injury caused by someone (most often a parent or caregiver). The reason is strong shaking of the child or a strong blow to the head.

In 70% of cases, male representatives are guilty of child injuries- fathers or stepfathers, often young. But anyone who is unable to cope with emotions and overcome anger, and who is also prone to the use of force, can resort to vigorous shaking of the child in order to calm him down. Alcohol abuse is also a common cause of SDS.

The situation can be aggravated by such an adult's action as throwing the child onto the bed with force. Swelling in the brain due to violent shaking can cause great internal pressure, constrict blood vessels and further injure a child's fragile brain.

Habitual play with children, light throwing or tossing of a child on his knee does NOT lead to this injury. But you can not, under any circumstances, SHAKE the child.

Concussion Infant Syndrome: Consequences

SDS leads to irreversible consequences, and in 1 out of 4 cases leads to the death of a child.

The consequences can be:

complete or partial blindness;
hearing loss;
epilepsy;
mental retardation;
speech disorders and learning problems;
problems with memory and attention;
severe mental retardation;
paralysis.

Even if, after a strong shaking, the child looks absolutely normal outwardly, after a while one of the symptoms may all the same manifest. Most often, the problem occurs without any external signs of damage, and problems with behavior, memory or learning become evident only during the period when the child goes to school.

But by that time it was already difficult to judge the connection of such violations with the actions of parents many years ago.

Concussion baby syndrome: symptoms

Each case of SDS depends on the severity and duration of exposure, the frequency of force use, and possible other forms of violence. In the most horrific cases, children are admitted to the trauma department unconscious, in a state of shock or seizure. But in most cases, because serious symptoms do not appear immediately after injury, children are not examined.

Concussion syndrome, symptoms that should alert you:

lethargy;
irritability;
vomit;
inability to swallow;
decreased appetite;
bad mood and quiet behavior;
rigidity;
seizures;
breathing disorder;
blue discoloration due to lack of oxygen;
loss of consciousness;
unequal pupil sizes;
unable to raise your head;
inability to focus or move.

Concussion Infant Syndrome: Diagnosis

Most cases of the consequences of DFS are regarded as "causeless injuries." In other words, parents and caregivers often fail to associate concussion syndrome with injury or shaking, so doctors cannot diagnose the disease right away.

In many cases, children without serious consequences or impairments do not receive a medical examination. Symptoms such as vomiting and irritability, for example, may not be related to the injury and may go away over time.

Unfortunately, in cases where the doctor has no suspicion of child abuse, symptoms such as lethargy, fussiness, or lack of appetite are mistaken for a virus or colic. That is, the absence of suspicion of child abuse by the parents or caregiver may cause further repetitions of forceful actions and worsening of the child's brain damage.

If doctors suspect SDS, the signs are:

hemorrhages on the retina of the eye;
damage to the skull;
swelling of the brain;
subdural hematomas (blood clots press on the surface of the brain);
broken ribs and long bones (bones in the arms and legs);
bruising around the head, neck, or chest.

Developing and teaching a child with concussion syndrome

The reason SDS is so serious and destructive is that it often causes generalized traumatic brain injury. For example, a child who has a severely impaired vision will not be able to use his vision when studying the world around him, therefore, the child's general ability to learn is sharply reduced.

Development of speech, vision, balance, and coordination can also feel negatively affected by SDS. Such impairments may require intensive physical and occupational therapy to help the child acquire skills that would develop normally if they did not have a traumatic brain injury.

As they get older, these children may need both constant language and general therapy to help them with the most basic daily tasks.

How to prevent concussion syndromes

The chances of preventing concussion syndrome are one hundred percent. The basis for this is public awareness of the potential threat of shaking a child.

Possible ways to alleviate stress for parents and caregivers at critical times can also significantly reduce a child's risk of DFS. There are special programs at hospitals that help parents learn how to respond to crying and the consequences of using force on a child.

The National Program All Children Cry in the United States educates the public on ways to overcome parental anger and irritation when children cry and promotes healthy parenting. There are four categories in the program:

P-position lying or on its side:(position on the left side - to help the child digest food, on the stomach - while the parent is holding the child, on the back - sleep)

C-nipple: breastfeeding, bottle, nipple, or finger

NS- : a child wrapped in a blanket like a burrito will help him feel safe. The hips and legs may be on the outside or slightly covered.

K-swing : Slightly rocking in a chair, in a cradle, or driving a car can help a child feel similar vibrations they experienced in their belly.

If the baby keeps crying

If the baby continues to cry, try the following:

make sure that the baby is full and does not need to change the diaper;
check or the child is not sick;
shake or scold the child in your arms;
speak or sing to the child;
give your baby a pacifier or toy;
give your child a ride in a stroller or in a safe child seat in a car;
hold the baby close to you and breathe slowly and calmly;
buy in a warm bathroom;
stroke the back of the child;
ask someone to help you take a break and look after your child;
if there is no result, put the child in the crib, close the door to the room and observe his behavior for 10 minutes.
call the doctor if the baby does not stop crying as there may be a medical reason.

To prevent SDF, parents and caregivers need to learn. It is important that the caregiver knows not to be shaken under any circumstances, the dangers and consequences of childhood injuries.