Women's Health

Maternity

Post-Natal Care

Prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome

Shaken baby syndrome describes the serious injuries that can occur when an infant or toddler is severely or violently shaken. Newborns have very weak neck muscles and do not yet have full support for their heavy heads. When they are shaken, their fragile brains move back and forth within their skulls. This can cause serious injuries such as blindness or eye damage, delay in normal development, seizures, brain damage or death.

Remember - it is never okay to shake your baby. If you have tried to calm your crying baby, but nothing seems to work, its important to stay in control of your frustration and temper. Take a breath and count to ten. Take a "time out" and let your baby cry alone in his/her crib for a few minutes while you calm down. Call someone close to you for emotional support or call your baby's doctor. There may be a medical reason why your baby is crying. Be sure to tell your baby's doctor if you know or suspect your baby was shaken.