Shaking is child abuse
2010/05/03
ANNIE FREEDA CRUEZ AND ROZANNA LATIFF
anniefc@nst.com.my
anniefc@nst.com.my
It may not seem like a dangerous act, but shaking a young child can cause serious harm and lead to child abuse charges. ANNIE FREEDA CRUEZ AND ROZANNA LATIFF find out more about the Shaken Baby Syndrome.
| Dr Irene Cheah |
THE month-old baby boy who slipped into a coma last month, is still fighting for his life at Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
He is believed to have been abused.
Every month, there are reports of abuse, especially those involving caretakers and teams of doctors are battling to save the lives of these young victims.
In many cases, these are found to be victims of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS), says Kuala Lumpur Hospital consultant paediatrician Dr Irene Cheah.
They will require medical attention for the rest of their short lives.
He is believed to have been abused.
Every month, there are reports of abuse, especially those involving caretakers and teams of doctors are battling to save the lives of these young victims.
In many cases, these are found to be victims of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS), says Kuala Lumpur Hospital consultant paediatrician Dr Irene Cheah.
They will require medical attention for the rest of their short lives.
SBS occurs when the person caring for the child becomes frustrated and angry, perhaps due to incessant crying, and shakes a child violently. Dr Cheah says there has been an increase in SBS cases of late.
“Shaking a young child will result in head injury or traumatic brain injury.” She said when someone forcefully shakes a baby, the child's head moves uncontrollably because the neck muscles aren't well developed and provide little support.
“This violent movement pitches the infant's brain back and forth inside the skull, sometimes rupturing blood vessels and nerves and tearing brain tissue because the blood vessels connecting the skull to the brain are fragile and immature.
The brain may strike the inside of the skull, leading to bruising and bleeding which causes subdural haemorrhage and subarachnoid haemorrhage, parenchymal contusion, vascular infarction and global hypoxic injury. Dr Cheah says it's never okay to shake a baby. “A child can have a skull fracture, skull swelling, contact subdural haemorrhage and retinal haemorrhages or ocular injury,” she says.
The injuries may cause permanent disabilities such as blindness, seizures, mental retardation and cerebral palsy.
Even if the shaking was not intended to injure the baby, it is child abuse. Also, when a baby is shaken its head may hit an object.
Even a soft object can cause injury to newborns and small infants.
Since their heads are large and heavy in proportion to their bodies and the skulls fragile, the shaking also causes whiplash.
Dr Cheah says that in more than 60 per cent of these cases the victims are boys.
“Shaking a young child will result in head injury or traumatic brain injury.” She said when someone forcefully shakes a baby, the child's head moves uncontrollably because the neck muscles aren't well developed and provide little support.
“This violent movement pitches the infant's brain back and forth inside the skull, sometimes rupturing blood vessels and nerves and tearing brain tissue because the blood vessels connecting the skull to the brain are fragile and immature.
The brain may strike the inside of the skull, leading to bruising and bleeding which causes subdural haemorrhage and subarachnoid haemorrhage, parenchymal contusion, vascular infarction and global hypoxic injury. Dr Cheah says it's never okay to shake a baby. “A child can have a skull fracture, skull swelling, contact subdural haemorrhage and retinal haemorrhages or ocular injury,” she says.
The injuries may cause permanent disabilities such as blindness, seizures, mental retardation and cerebral palsy.
Even if the shaking was not intended to injure the baby, it is child abuse. Also, when a baby is shaken its head may hit an object.
Even a soft object can cause injury to newborns and small infants.
Since their heads are large and heavy in proportion to their bodies and the skulls fragile, the shaking also causes whiplash.
Dr Cheah says that in more than 60 per cent of these cases the victims are boys.
The perpetrators are more likely to be men, either the caregiver or boyfriend of the mother.
Often, she adds, parents are not aware that their child has been abused and seek help only when they notice mild or severe symptoms such as decreased alertness, extreme irritability, lethargy, poor feeding, vomiting, loss of vision, seizures, and pale or bluish skin. Since there are no visible signs of injury the condition can be difficult to diagnose and may not be identified during a visit to a doctor.
Injuries such as rib fractures however, can be seen with an X-ray.
An estimated 1,200 to 1,400 cases of SBS occur each year in the United States.
Some of these involve young, unmarried mothers with little education and who come from unstable family situations, or mothers who have had multiple pregnancies. In view of the rising incidences of SBS, the Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect Team (Scan Team) of which Dr Cheah is chairman, is on an awareness drive with the Health Ministry to educate parents on the dangers and consequences of SBS, through the media, Antenatal Clinics and pre-discharged Neonatal Intensive Care Units “We plan to send trained maternal and child health nurses on home visits besides encouraging frequent parent-infant contact if the baby is a pre-term or has had prolonged hospitalisation,” she says. Caregivers will be educated on ways to cope with incessant crying and encouraged to disclose their fears and frustrations, which are expected in such situations. “It's important that caregivers are properly trained to care for infants and children of all ages.
Its equally crucial that caregivers take care of themselves and get enough rest, have a balanced routine, adequate nutrition and exercise.
It’s learned that the health authorities and the Scan team are also looking into teaching schoolchildren about SBS and anger management skills.
Injuries such as rib fractures however, can be seen with an X-ray.
An estimated 1,200 to 1,400 cases of SBS occur each year in the United States.
Some of these involve young, unmarried mothers with little education and who come from unstable family situations, or mothers who have had multiple pregnancies. In view of the rising incidences of SBS, the Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect Team (Scan Team) of which Dr Cheah is chairman, is on an awareness drive with the Health Ministry to educate parents on the dangers and consequences of SBS, through the media, Antenatal Clinics and pre-discharged Neonatal Intensive Care Units “We plan to send trained maternal and child health nurses on home visits besides encouraging frequent parent-infant contact if the baby is a pre-term or has had prolonged hospitalisation,” she says. Caregivers will be educated on ways to cope with incessant crying and encouraged to disclose their fears and frustrations, which are expected in such situations. “It's important that caregivers are properly trained to care for infants and children of all ages.
Its equally crucial that caregivers take care of themselves and get enough rest, have a balanced routine, adequate nutrition and exercise.
It’s learned that the health authorities and the Scan team are also looking into teaching schoolchildren about SBS and anger management skills.
A few months ago, I heard about Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) for the first time. The victim was my ex-schoolmate's brother's baby and the perpetrator was the maid. I was sad upon hearing the news and how it could have happened to such an innocent infant. The baby underwent an operation. Thankfully, he recuperated.
1 comment:
hye my name is ad.
i ws searching for any articles abt SBS and i came across urs. from the article u stated that u've heard abt it through personal experiences, although not directly you..is it ok if i have the original copy of the article and conduct an on9 interview with u in regards of the issue?
pls respond through this email.
adleena_1710@yahoo.com
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