Shaken Baby Syndrome Symptoms, Causes, Risk Factors, Complications, Diagnosis and Treatment

What Is Shaken Baby Syndrome?

It is a severe brain injury that consequents by shaking a toddler or infant, vigorously. It damages the brain cells of a child, and averts the brain from obtaining sufficient oxygen. You may say it a child abuse which causes lasting damage to the baby’s brain, and even its death.

What Are The Alternative Names Of Shaken Bbaby Syndrome?

Few common names of shaken baby syndrome are:

• Whiplash shake syndrome.
• Inflicted head injury.
• Shaken impact syndrome.
• Abusive head trauma.

What Are The Symptoms Of Shaken Baby Syndrome?

Its symptoms are:

• Seizures.
• Bluish or pale skin.
• Vomiting.
• Tremors.
• Paralysis.
• Poor eating.
• Breathing difficulties.
• Trouble staying awake.
• Extreme irritability.
• Coma.

Besides the above mentioned symptoms, other unnoticeable injuries are:

• Damage to the neck and spinal cord.
• Bleeding in the eye and brain.
• Fractures of the bones, skull and ribs.

Furthermore, in mild instances, the child can seem normal after the incidence of being shaken, however, gradually; it may develop problems related to the behavior and health.

What Causes Shaken Baby Syndrome?

Clearly, babies tend to have sensitive neck muscles. If they are shaken powerfully, their delicate brain will move forward and backward inside their skull. Such roots bruising, followed by swelling, and ultimately, resulting in bleeding.

More specifically, shaken baby syndrome is a condition that occurs when someone, say a caregiver or a parent shakes the toddler or a baby severely. These caregivers of parents may act in a manner due to anger or irritation, usually when the baby continues to cry for long.

What Are The Risk Factors Of Shaken Baby Syndrome?

For the caregivers and parents, the numbers of factors which may rise the chancing of inflicting the condition are:

• Being a single or young parent.
• When the baby is expecting something unrealistic.
• Depression.
• Stress.
• Domestic violence.
• Substance or alcohol abuse.
• Unstable situations in a family.
• The history of being abused as a child himself/herself.

As compared to women, men tend to be twice likely of inflicting the condition.

What Are The Complications Of Shaken Baby Syndrome?

Sadly, some seconds of intense shaking can lead to permanent brain damage. Majority of them actually die, whereas its survivor may need continuous medical aid for their entire lives. A number of complications, linked with shaken baby syndrome are:

• Seizure disorders.
• Mental retardation.
• Cerebral palsy.
• Hearing loss.
• Total or partial blindness.
• Developmental setback, behavior and learning problems.

How Is Shaken Baby Syndrome Diagnosis?

The victim child may go through a number of tests, to detect injuries, for example:

• Blood tests.
• Ophthalmological exam.
• Skeletal survey.
• MRI.
• CT scan.

How Is Shaken Baby Syndrome Treatment?

Such a child requires emergency treatment which can comprise of sustaining measures, for example:

• Breathing support, for breathing difficulties.
• To stop the bleeding in the brain, surgery can be immediately performed.

By : Natural Health News