NEVER Shake A Baby
In the last few years, doctors have identified a new threat to infants and young children. Shaken baby syndrome occurs when adults, out of frustration, anger or ignorance, strenuously shake an infant.
Infants younger than 1 years old have large heads and weak, underdeveloped neck muscles. So when they are shaken, the whiplash is tremendous. The infant’s brain literally is smashed against the skull. Brain damage, bleeding in and on the surface of the brain, spinal cord and eye damage, convulsions and death may be the tragic result. Although this severe damage is most common in young infants, toddlers also experience these injuries.
Unfortunately, many parents and caregivers do not know that shaking a child can seriously hurt him. Some have reported shaking children because they did not want to hit them. Or they have shaken an unconscious child after a fall or convulsion. Some parents of infants prone to apnea, (who sometimes stop breathing), have been instructed by a doctor or nurse to shake their babies to revive them. But NO ONE should EVER shake a baby.
Parents who spend a lot of time at home with young children deal with enough stress to bring a corporate executive to his knees. That’s why an important part of parenting is knowing when to take a deep breath and count to 10.
Warning signs
When you feel:
Ø isolated and lonely
Ø doubt and confusion or anxiety about your parenting skills
Ø guilty about the way you treat your child
Ø bad about yourself and your child
When you have:
Ø recurring arguments or violence between you and your spouse
Ø memories of abuse from your childhood set off by your child’s behavior
Ø alcohol or drug problems in the family
