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ABUSIVE HEAD TRAUMA (Shaken Baby Syndrome)

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Identify ways to prevent Abusive Head Trauma and be able to ... Lethargy/Decreased muscle tone. Extreme irritability. Difficulty breathing. Decreased appetite ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: ABUSIVE HEAD TRAUMA (Shaken Baby Syndrome)


1
ABUSIVE HEAD TRAUMA (Shaken Baby Syndrome)
  • INFORMATION AND PREVENTION

April 2009
2
Training Objectives
  • Define Abusive Head Trauma/Inflicted Traumatic
    Brain Injury (Shaken Baby Syndrome).
  • Identify the results of Abusive Head Trauma
    (AHT).
  • Recognize the signs and symptoms of Abusive Head
    Trauma.
  • Identify ways to prevent Abusive Head Trauma and
    be able to apply them.

3
What is Abusive Head Trauma (AHT)?
  • Abusive Head Trauma, also known as Shaken Baby
    Syndrome, involves the violent shaking or shaking
    and impacting the head of an infant or young
    child, usually under 4-years old. These children,
    especially babies, have very weak neck muscles
    and do not have support for their heavy heads.

4
  • When children are shaken, their brains move back
    and forth within their skulls. Abusive Head
    Trauma (AHT), causes destruction of brain cells
    and causes swelling of the brain. Extensive
    retinal hemorrhages in one or both eyes are found
    in a majority of the cases. Fractures of long
    bones and/or ribs can also be caused by AHT.

5
  • The triggering event for shaking is most always
    the babys uncontrollable crying and loss of
    control by the caregiver. Parents or caregivers
    may feel that shaking a baby is a harmless way to
    make a child stop crying. According to Prevent
    Child Abuse America, 25-50 of parents and
    caretakers are not aware of the effects of
    shaking a baby.

6
What Are the Results of AHT?
  • Blindness or eye damage
  • Delay in normal development
  • Damage to the spinal cord (paralysis)
  • Brain damage
  • Coma
  • Hearing loss
  • Severe mental retardation
  • Death

7
What are the Signs and Symptoms of AHT?
  • According to the National Center on Shaken Baby
    Syndrome, these are common symptoms of a child
    that has been shaken
  • Lethargy/Decreased muscle tone
  • Extreme irritability
  • Difficulty breathing

8
  • Decreased appetite
  • Vomiting
  • No smiling or vocalization
  • Poor sucking or swallowing
  • Rigidity or posturing
  • Seizures
  • Inability to lift head

9
  • Inability to focus or track movement with eyes or
    unequal size of pupils
  • Head or forehead appears larger than normal or
    soft-spot on head appears to be bulging

10
How Common is AHT in Missouri?
  • In the United States, AHT is the second most
    common cause of death due to trauma in children,
    and the cause of more than 95 of serious head
    injuries in infants less than one year of age.
  • Of the 27 Missouri children who died from
    inflicted injury at the hands of a parent or
    caretaker in 2007, 16 (53) were victims of AHT
    (or inflicted traumatic brain injury), commonly
    known as Shaken Baby Syndrome.

11
  • Research has shown that 60-70 of perpetrators of
    AHT are male. In 2007, perpetrators of AHT
    included six birth fathers, five mothers
    boyfriends, three child care providers, one
    friend of the mother, and in one case, both the
    birth mother and her boyfriend abused the infant.

12
  • In 2007, a six-month-old was left in the care of
    his mothers boyfriend. He became frustrated with
    the infants crying and shook him, resulting in a
    traumatic brain injury.

13
  • In 2007, a four-month old was left with a child
    care provider, who was caring for several
    children in her home. The infant was found
    unresponsive and taken to a hospital where he was
    found to be suffering from a traumatic brain
    injury. The babysitter later admitted to hitting
    the childs head against a changing table.

14
What Can Parents and Caregivers Do to Prevent
AHT?
  • When a baby is crying, the American Academy of
    Pediatrics suggests the following
  • Take a deep breath and count to 10.
  • Take time out and let your baby cry alone.
  • Call someone close to you for emotional support.
  • Call your pediatrician. There may be a medical
    reason why your child is crying.

15
  • Other Suggestions
  • Rock or walk with the baby.
  • Sing or talk to the baby.
  • Offer the baby a pacifier or noisy toy.
  • Take the baby for a ride in a stroller.
  • Put the baby into a child safety seat in the car
    and go for a ride.

16
When a Baby Cries, Have a Plan
  • Stop.
  • Take a break. Lay your baby down on its back in
    a safe place.
  • Sit down or leave the room.
  • Count to 10 or more.
  • Talk to another adult. Call a friend for help.
  • Call your doctor.
  • (Source The Childrens Trust Fund and the
    Greater St. Louis Child Fatality Prevention
    Coalitions Never Shake a Baby brochure)

17
For More Information, Visit These Additional
Websites
  • The National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome,
    www.dontshake.org
  • American Academy of Pediatrics,
    http//www.aap.org/publiced/BR_ShakenBaby.htm
  • Kids Health, www.kidshealth.org/parent/medical/bra
    in/shaken.html

18
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and
    Stroke, http//www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/shakenb
    aby/shakenbaby.htm
  • Epilepsy Association of Central Florida,
    http//aboutshakenbaby.com/
  • Missouri Department of Health and Senior
    Services, http//www.dhss.mo.gov/ShakenBabySyndrom
    e/
  • Missouri Childrens Trust Fund (has both
    brochures and videos available), www.ctf4kids.org

19
Missouri Department of Social Services State
Technical Assistance Team
  • Address
  • PO Box 208Jefferson City, MO 65102-0208
  • Telephone (573) 751-5980(800) 487-1626(8 a.m.
    to 5 p.m. CST, Monday Friday)
  • Email
  •  dls.stat_at_dss.mo.gov
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