| Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) Options | | | | continues to cry. You feed the baby, you |
| | | | check the diaper, you try burping the baby, |
| Shaken Baby Syndrome or SBS, refers to the | | | | you checked the child's temperature, and you |
| symptoms resulting from violent shaking of an | | | | tried turning down the noise in the |
| infant child, a preventable abuse. This | | | | room...but the baby still continues to cry. |
| usually happens when the caretaker gets | | | | Again, it does not necessarily mean that you |
| stressed and frustrated while the baby is | | | | have done anything wrong. It could just be |
| crying, and attempts to shake the baby to | | | | that the infant has gas or is starting to |
| stop it from crying. This causes neurological | | | | have teeth come through. |
| damage from the whiplash effect on the spinal | | | | |
| cord and brain. | | | | Some Alternative options that you can try: |
| | | | |
| In America alone, there are around 1500 | | | | - SPEAK SOFTLY to the baby |
| shaken babies every year who are brought in | | | | |
| for treatment. Of these young victims, more | | | | - SING to the baby |
| than 1/4 do not survive their injuries. Those | | | | |
| that survive will have many problems from the | | | | - ROCK the baby |
| trauma that will last their entire life. | | | | |
| There is no doubt many others that suffer the | | | | - MASSAGE the baby's back |
| symptoms that were never brought in for | | | | |
| treatment. | | | | - OFFER A PACIFIER (but don't force it) |
| | | | |
| This syndrome can be prevented by continued | | | | - PLAY SOFT MUSIC like classical, or nursery |
| education and preparation before (or while) | | | | music |
| having children. The mother, or father, or | | | | |
| babysitter must learn what the baby's needs | | | | - WALK the baby in a stroller |
| are and learn a lot of patience. All babies | | | | |
| will cry. This is a way for them to | | | | - ENTERTAIN the baby |
| communicate, since they do not yet know how | | | | |
| to talk. It does not always mean that the | | | | In the end, every mother or father says that |
| caretaker is doing anything wrong. | | | | raising children was worth it. Babies can't |
| | | | cry forever. |
| We have all been around the baby who | | | | |