Shaken Impact Syndrome: Stop Child Abuse!

I just had a friend from myspace send me a very sad but true story that I wanted to share with my AC friends. This is about an infant boy named Kaleb only six months old who within the last month suffered abuse by his caregiver. The sitter shook this poor little baby so hard, that he is now in a coma and suffering from seizures, blindness as well as his brain shrinking and the tissue dying. Should he survive, the doctors believe he will remain in a vegetable state. This is what is medically known as SBS (Shaking Baby Syndrome). After receiving this heartbreaking news, I thought we could all offer our support through our prayers and kindness for this precious child, as well as his devastated family. I also feel the need to get the word out to as many people as possible and by any means possible, to educate people about this horrific means of child abuse! Head trauma is the leading cause of death in child abuse cases in the United States.
Please read the article below for information regarding SBS.

SBS is an inflicted head injury and trauma to the brain caused by someone vigorously shaking an infant. Because of the anatomy of infants, they are at particular risk for injury from this kind of action. The majority of incidents occur in infants who are younger than 1 year old. The average age of victims is between 3 and 8 months, although SBS is occasionally seen in children up to 4 years old.

When someone forcefully shakes a baby, the child's head rotates uncontrollably, because infants' neck muscles aren't well developed and provide little support for their heads. The violent shaking moves the infant's brain back and forth within the skull, rupturing blood vessels and nerves as well as tearing the brain tissue. The brain strikes the inside of the skull, causing bruising and bleeding to the brain.

The damage is even greater when the shaking is followed by an impact such as hitting a wall or a crib mattress, for example, because the forces of acceleration and deceleration associated with an impact are so strong. After the shaking, swelling in the brain can cause enormous pressure within the skull, compressing blood vessels and increasing overall injury to its delicate structure.

SBS often causes irreversible damage. In the worst cases, the death rate is almost half of all babies involved.

Children who survive may have:
partial or total blindness
hearing loss
seizures
developmental delays
impaired intellect
speech and learning difficulties
problems with memory and attention
severe mental retardation
paralysis (some particularly traumatic episodes leave children in a coma)

Signs And Symptoms
The severity of the infant's injuries can be impacted by the duration, force of the shaking, the number of episodes, and whether impact is involved. In the most violent cases, children may arrive at the emergency room unconscious, suffering seizures, or in shock. Although in many cases, infants may never be brought to medical attention without exhibiting such severe symptoms.

Less severe cases, a baby who has been shaken may experience:

lethargy
irritability
vomiting
poor sucking or swallowing
decreased appetite
lack of smiling or vocalizing
rigidity
seizures
difficulty breathing
altered consciousness
unequal pupil size
an inability to lift the head
an inability to focus the eyes or track movement

SBS cases are almost always parents or caregivers, who shake the baby out of frustration or stress when the child is crying inconsolably. Unfortunately the shaking has the desired effect, although at first the baby may cry more out of fear, it eventually stops crying as the brain is damaged.

Unfortunately, unless a doctor has reason to suspect SBS, mild cases where the infant seems lethargic, fussy, or perhaps isn't feeding well are often misdiagnosed as a viral illness or colic. If shaken baby syndrome is suspected, doctors may look for:

hemorrhages in the retinas of the eyes (which are extremely rare in any accidental injuries, such as falls)
skull fractures
swelling of the brain
subdural hematomas
Arm, leg and rib bone fractures
bruises around the head, neck, or chest

Approximately 60% of shaken babies are male. It is estimated that the perpetrators in 65% to 90% of cases are males - usually either the baby's father or the mother's boyfriend, often someone in his early 20s.

SBS is100% preventable!
The key aspect of prevention is increasing awareness of the potential dangers of shaking. Some hospital-based programs have helped new parents identify and prevent shaking injuries and understand how to respond when infants cry. Finding ways to alleviate the parent or caregivers stress at the critical moments when a baby is crying can significantly reduce the risk to the child. To prevent potential SBS, parents and caregivers of infants need help with responding to their own stress. It's important to talk to anyone caring for your baby about the dangers of shaking and how it can be prevented.

This is not a disease, it is child abuse and 100% preventable! Help stop SBS through educating people about the devastation of shaking a baby!
You can contact this family to share your strength,support and prayers through the resource I have listed if you would like.