Shaken baby syndromeShaking can kill young babies but studies have shown that 50 per cent of parents are unaware of the dangers of roughly handling a small child. It therefore will come as a surprise for many parents that even just playing roughly with an infant is the equivalent to an adult being attacked by a gorilla.
Shaken Baby Syndrome, also called SBS, is caused by the forceful shaking of a baby by his shoulders. This causes baby's head to flop backwards and forwards. It does not happen through normal play. How does it happen?You've probably noticed that your baby's head is quite large in comparison with the rest of his body. In fact, his head makes up 25per cent of his total body weight. Along with this, all babies have extremely weak neck muscles which is why your health visitor or midwife will stress the importance of supporting your baby's head at all times. When a baby is shaken violently, the force of the head movement tears the fragile blood vessels at the back of the neck which lead up to the brain and skull. The shaking also causes the brain to bounce inside the skull, leading to bruising of the delicate brain tissue. This sets off a process including:
One of the most extensive study's by scientists at the Royal London Hospital and Sheffield University has emphasised that shaking a baby could seriously harm or even kill him. Jennian Geddes, a neuropathologist at the Royal London Hospital, led the study and found that some of the nerves damaged by shaking control breathing. She says "This is a type of damage that's not been reported before. It shows that you don't have to use a lot of force to injure a baby." What are the symptoms?Following a severe shaking incident, there are two types of symptoms, those which occur immediately and those which are more long term. Immediate symptoms include;
Long term symptoms include: Learning disabilities;physical disabilities;seizures and death. What you might not knowIn the UK, brain injury is the most common cause of death in young children and it is suspected that at least half of all brain injuries are as a result of child abuse. Every year, up to 200 babies and infants die from Shaken Baby Syndrome. Of these, 95% are proven to be abuse-related without doubt. However, the validity of the other 5% labelled as SBS is currently under review as more research on the subject suggests the convictions may be unsafe. A study by the University of Birmingham used eggs in a glass jar to represent a baby's brain and concluded that a baby who is shaken is 30 times more likely to die than if it were hit by the same force. Autumn and Winter months are the most common time for SBS to occur and while 80% of abusers are male, 60% of the victims are also male. Some do's and don'tsIn a recent study, 75% of mothers admitted to smacking a child under a year old and many mums will admit that there are times when the emotional demands of looking after their baby makes them feel like giving them a shake. Susie Lyons is a health visitor and says that sleep deprivation is obviously common, especially with a newborn baby. "Many mums admit to feeling physically, mentally and emotionally drained," she says. "A lot of the time they feel so exhausted that they just want to sit and cry. I think any mother could relate to that feeling and my advice is 'why not?' Sometimes a good cry can work wonders and can be just the type of 'me time' that you need to clear the frustrations." She also adds that it's not only first time mums who feel this way. "Experience can count for a lot of things, but when it comes to lack of sleep it doesn't matter how many times you've gone through it, it can still make you feel emotionally and physically exhausted." It's important to remember that you are not alone in feeling like this. All mums go through it at some time but there are some important things to remember to minimise the risk of brain injury to a baby or young child. DO; " Provide support for your baby's head " Educate anyone who may have contact with your child on the risks, including siblings, carers, babysitters and relatives " If you find yourself losing your patience with a baby or toddler, put them in a safe place and leave them for a few minutes " Breathe deeply to regain your composure " Allow yourself some 'me' time-have a cuppa, listen to some music, read a favourite magazine " Call a friend or relative " Share your worries, problems or just plain exasperations with other parents in the babyworld forums. You can be sure there's someone there who's gone through it themselves and will know just what you're going through. DON'T; " Shake a child, especially if they are under 2 years old " Jog with a child harnessed to your back " Spin a child by their ankles " Repeatedly toss a child into the airJan Pratt works for Cry-sis, an organisation which helps people with constantly crying babies and has counsellors available on the phone 24 hours a day. She says that "Mothers shake their babies out of frustration," and adds that the advice from Cry-sis is simple. "Put the baby in the cot, shut the door, walk away and have a cup of tea,' says Jan. 'Give yourself time to calm down, take deep breaths and then go back and do all the things you tried before. Check their nappy, whether they're hungry, cold, whatever." Hitting the headlinesIn the last 2 years, three high-profile cases in which mothers were wrongly found guilty of murdering their babies have been overturned. First Sally Clarke, then Trupti Patel and, most recently, Angela Cannings. All three women were charged with what most people would consider the most awful crime imaginable, shaking their own babies to death. Both Ms Clarke and Ms Cannings spent months in prison before the Appeals Court found both their convictions unsafe and they were released. Both women, along with Ms Patel, had been charged on the basis of expert evidence from Professor Roy Meadows, Britain's leading cot-death expert who decided that, on the balance of probability, these mothers had murdered their children. Professor Meadows stated that "One cot death is a tragedy, two is suspicious and three is murder." The women were released after further evidence proved that their children did die from cot death. Flawed evidenceIt is now clear that there are several alternative explanations. It is now clear that there are several alternative explanations for the symptoms previously thought only to cause SBS and as a result it is the most commonly made false allegation. The "characteristic" sign for SBS is the presence of bleeding at the back of the eyes, known as retinal haemorrhages. However, recent studies have shown it is actually very difficult to generate the necessary forces to cause such an injury. These are now thought to be the other causes of retinal haemorrhage:
Following the findings in these three women's cases, Lord Goldsmith QC, the Attorney General, announced in January that all criminal cases involving cot death over the last ten years are to be reviewed. A total of 258 parents who have been convicted of killing a child under the age of two will be affected and if their conviction is found to have relied upon expert evidence, they will be fast-tracked through the appeals court. Sir Roy Meadow is to face a General Medical Council professional conduct committee over allegations against him. Where to next?
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