Understanding Shaken Baby Syndrome
Shaken Baby Syndrome, or SBS, is a common name given to abusive head trauma, or AHT. Trauma to the head is the number one killer of children in child abuse cases. As its name implies, the head trauma associated with SBS can come from shaking a child, as well as dropping it.
Infants and young children are susceptible to SBS because they do not yet have the strong necks necessary to keep their head from shaking around. In adults, it is something akin to whiplash, but because shaking a baby is so violent, it can actually cause brain damage.
How SBS Works
When someone decides to commit the travesty of shaking a baby, he or she may resign the child to a life full of health issues and permanent brain damage. Of course, normal and gentle movement, such as bouncing a baby up and down in your arms to help him or her burp, should not harm the child unless it escalates into vigorous and violent motion.
With SBS, the shaking causes the child’s brain to slide around in its skull. This can rupture blood vessels, destroy nerves, and bruise and tear the brain tissue itself. If extreme enough, this can actually kill a child. However, if a baby lives through a shaking incident, it can suffer from the following:
- Hearing and vision impairment
- Seizures
- Developmental delays
- Mental Retardation
- Cerebral Palsy
Sadly, AHT damages are usually irreversible.
Contact Us
Occasionally, an infant can be mishandled in the hospital, leading to Shaken Baby Syndrome. For more information on birth injuries and medical malpractice, contact an experienced Philadelphia birth injury lawyer at Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. today at 215-238-1130.