Shaking a crying baby can cause brain damage

From Enpsychopedia

Earth times
Mon, 10 Nov 2008

Cologne, Germany - A crying baby should never be shaken as this can cause severe brain damage or even death, Germany's professional association for paediatricians said in Cologne. Parents should first leave the room or count to 10 and take a deep breath before acting hastily and doing something they later bitterly regret, the association advises. A paediatrician could recommend a nearby outpatient clinic that can make the interaction with a difficult infant easier.

About 100 infants in Germany annually suffer severe brain damage because they were shaken by caregivers who, in most cases, were overburdened. This figure was reported by the census unit for rare paediatric illnesses in Germany, but the paediatricians association estimates the number of babies in Germany that suffer trauma from shaking is higher.

Experts have determined that a risk factor or trigger for trauma from shaking is excessive crying. Brain damage resulting from external force that is not due to an accident is the most common cause of death among children ages six to 12 months.

"The baby's head is proportionally larger and the brain sitting relatively high with a high amount of fluid," said professor Hans-Juergen Nentwich, a member of the association's board of directors. "Only about five seconds of hard shaking are enough to break the brain functions."

Blood vessels and nerves tear, causing bleeding in the brain and brain damage. Bleeding around the eyes also is possible. More than two-thirds of the children who suffer trauma from shaking have permanent vision, hearing and speaking disabilities. Up to a quarter die from their injuries, he said.