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Shaken baby syndrome subject of awareness event

May 31, 2007|GEORGE LEWIS

A program called "Take A Break; Don't Shake!" in Danville on Saturday is designed to educate parents and other caregivers about shaken baby syndrome (SBS).

Research indicates SBS is one of the Commonwealth's most prevalent causes of child abuse, accounting for two-thirds of the physical abuse cases in Kentucky.

SBS is thought to occur when an abuser violently shakes an infant, creating a whiplash-type motion.

SBS can occur from as little as five seconds of shaking, which usually takes place when the infant is crying inconsolably and the frustrated caregiver loses control. The violent shaking may result in severe injuries to the infant, permanent brain damage, or death.

The program, from 11 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at the Boyle County Fairgrounds, will include lunch, speakers, prize drawings, certificates and activities designed to make participants aware of shaken baby issues.

The speakers are George Lithco, a national SBS education advocate whose 11-month-old son died in 2000 after being shaken by a caregiver, and Rashmi Adi-Brown, the director of Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky who also is a mother and well-known SBS education advocate.

"This is an opportunity to educate our communities and families about alternatives to losing control and harming or killing an innocent child," said Harry Nickens, vice president of community relations and development for Ephraim McDowell Health.

In comparison with accidental traumatic brain injury in infants, shaken baby injuries have a much worse prognosis. Damage to the retina of the eye can cause blindness. The majority of infants who survive severe shaking will have some form of neurological or mental disability, such as cerebral palsy or mental retardation, which may not be fully apparent before 6 years of age. Children with shaken baby syndrome may require lifelong medical care.

The program is sponsored by Ephraim McDowell Health and other agencies.

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