What is Shaken Baby Syndrome ?
November 21, 2020 Lifestyle Diseases 632 ViewsShaken Baby Syndrome
You might know that many types of diseases affect older children, but some conditions commonly affect young babies or infants, one of which is the Shaken Baby Syndrome. It is a disease that affects the infant’s brain, and some people remain affected by this problem even after growing up. A baby can get this from angry parents or some other person. Babies are sensitive and fragile, so they must be handled with care to avoid any injury or harm. Any direct blow to the child’s head can cause a risk of brain injury. If the infant excessively rotates his head forward or backward, then also the risk of brain injury is high. Let us tell you in detail about Shaken Baby Syndrome in this article.
- What are the Causes of Shaken Baby Syndrome?
- What are the Symptoms of Shaken Baby Syndrome?
- How to Control Shaken Baby Syndrome?
- How to Prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome?
What are the Causes of Shaken Baby Syndrome?
- Shaken Baby Syndrome usually occurs when a person forcefully shakes the baby. Many people get angry when the baby does not stop crying and then angrily starts shaking the baby to calm him down.
- Babies have weak neck muscles and often struggle to support their heads. When an infant is forcefully shaken, his fragile brain may sustain injuries because of moving back and forth inside the skull.
- Forcibly shaking the baby affects his brain and causes bleeding, swelling, bruising, etc.
What are the Symptoms of Shaken Baby Syndrome?
- The following are the signs and symptoms of Shaken Baby syndrome-
- Sudden fever
- Pale or bluish skin
- Coma
- Paralysis
- Inability to eat properly
- Difficulty in breathing
- Excessive irritability
- Difficulty staying awake
- Physical injury may be seen in some children. But most of them do not show any signs of physical injury. In some cases, the baby’s skin may become bluish.
- Most of the cases of shaken baby syndrome are not serious but appear to be normal. Also, health problems may increase in some babies.
- Some types of injuries and conditions differ from each other. Such as bleeding in the eyes and brain, fractures of bones, spinal cord injury, etc. may occur. Malnutrition is more common in a child with Shaken Baby syndrome.
How to Control Shaken Baby Syndrome?
The following are some ways to control the condition of Shaken Baby Syndrome.
- If the spine of the baby is injured, then be cautious while moving his neck and head to minimize any further damage to the spine.
- Always apply light pressure on the baby’s chest. If the breathing rate decreases in a baby, try giving him air through the mouth. Compress the chest with light pressure, and the compressions should be mild and rapid.
- If your baby is less than a year old, use two fingers to massage their chest. If the baby is older than one year, use one hand to apply pressure on the chest and with the other hand, hold his head backward.
How to Prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome?
- Parents should take care of their newborn babies properly. If you are not able to take care of your child properly then you should seek help from someone else.
- Small babies should be cared for very lovingly and politely, taking care of them angrily will have adverse effects on them.
- If you are under a lot of mental stress, then you should get counseling to help you get rid of stress.
- You can contact a mental health practitioner to improve your mental health.
If you want more information about shaken baby syndrome, contact a child specialist doctor (Pediatrist).
Our aim is to give you information about diseases. We do not recommend any medicine, treatment, or surgery. Only a doctor can give you good advice because no one else is better than them.
