What is Shaken Baby Syndrome?
Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is a type of abuse that is exactly what the name implies: a baby is injured after being violently shaken. Usually a caretaker becomes exasperated and feels unable to meet the child’s needs, and in a moment of anger and desperation shakes a baby. That moment almost always irrevocably changes the baby’s life.
Some Statistics
SBS is a sobering issue for all Americans. It is a harmful and potentially lethal matter that is a true public health issue, especially because the professionals paid to care for our infants are sometimes those who end up harming them so severely.
- Newborn babies up to the age of four-month-olds are at the greatest risk of being shaken
- SBS is one of the primary causes of child abuse fatalities in the US
- Often an episode of SBS is triggered by a baby’s crying
- Many infants often experience periods of inconsolable crying
- About 1400 babies are affected by SBS each year, and approximately 25% of these infants die
- Most survivors of SBS suffer permanent damage of some sort, which may include learning disorders, behavioral difficulties, blindness, paralysis, or living in a near vegetative state
The tragedy of SBS is that is 100% preventable and yet devastates so many individuals and families each year. This type of injury can occur in a hospital or daycare setting.
Contact Us
If your child or someone you love has been injured by an episode of SBS, the Philadelphia birth injury lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. may be able to help you seek financial compensation if another party was to blame. Call 215-238-1130 to speak with an experienced and caring attorney today.