Christian's Shaken Baby Site

***********I AM A SHAKEN BABY, FEEL MY PAIN***********

CJ laughing

NOW I HAVE TO EDUCATE YOU ALL

In order for me to do that, I will try to give you all some facts, some pointers, and suggestions.

A little about Shaken Baby Syndrome

In the past few years a newly recognized injury to children has been identified and described. It's referred to as "Shaken Baby Syndrome". It's very very serious and results can be bad. So bad, that we children may be left in a very bad way or even die. Please, don't ever shake us, or play rough with us. Our little bodies can't take that and we hurt when you do it.

Most of the time, "Shaken Baby Syndrome" happens when adults, get frustrated and angry with children and shake them. Sometimes they shake children violently. If you are a parent or if you care for a baby, it is important to know the dangers of shaking a child. You also need to tell everyone that cares for your baby, that it is NEVER okay to shake a baby. Children, and babies especially when they are young, have very weak neck muscles. They gradually develop strength to control their heavy heads. If they are shaken, their heads wobble real fast back and forth, which can cause brain damage and bleeding in and on the surface of the brain. Severe damage of this type is most common in very young babies, but it can even happen to children at age three. The things that can happen from shaking a baby are:

Brain damage
Spinal injury / paralysis
Blindness or eye trauma
Seizures
Retardation - mild to severe
Delay in normal development - impaired motor and sensory skills
Broken bones
Dislocations
Death

THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE TO REMEMBER IS TO NEVER SHAKE A BABY OR A CHILD

Always provide support for you baby's head when holding or transporting or playing. Tell everyone the proper way to support the head. Make sure that everyone that cares for a baby or child, knows the dangers of shaking. That includes babysitters, child care providers, brothers and sisters, moms, dads, aunts and uncles and grandma and grandpa too.

Ways to cope when I cry

All of us babies cry a lot. Especially during the first few months. We cry because we are hungry, or wet, or because we don't feel good. It's how we communicate with all of the adults. Sometimes we cry just because we want you to hold us or love us or play with us. We like attention. But, sometimes adults get caught up in their day to day stuff and they loose track of the fact the we are so small. Some things you might try, to deal with us are

Try to get us to take a pacifier
Take us for a walk or a stroller ride
Then if you really can't take it, wrap us in a blanket and put us in our crib, close or door and go to another room
If your worried about our crying, call our doctor, he knows all about us babies

If your really having a tough time dealing with it....

Take a deep breath, then another. Then remember your the adult, we are the little one.
Close your eyes and imagine that you are hearing what we are about to hear.
Put your lips together and count to 10. Maybe even 20 or 30. Think about how little we are.
Take a time out. Think about why you are so angry. Is it something else or is it because we are crying.
Call someone. A friend, a neighbor, your pastor, or just someone to talk to.
Do something for yourself. Play some music. Do some exercises. Take a shower.
Change your activity. Shake a rug, do the dishes or laundry. Scrub a floor or beat a pillow.
Sit down and think of a pleasant memory for ten minutes.
Write down the ten best things about yourself. Then write down the ten best things about your child.

Whatever you do, Please, Please, Please, don't shake us.
We are so little and we are so fragile. You can hurt us, We count on you, to help us, to do for us because we can't. We count on you to protect us, because you're the adult.

What to do if you shake a baby or a child

If you shake a baby or a child, either by accident or on purpose. Even though you might feel embarrassed or guilty, it is very important that you take us as fast as you safely can, to the nearest Hospital Emergency Room. Bleeding inside the brain can be treated. Immediate medical attention will save us some future problems and may possibly save our life. Remember, you are the adult and we count on you. We want a chance to live our life.

Let's try an experiment
Get a clear glass jar with a top, and an egg. Somehow inject the egg with red food coloring. Place the egg carefully into the bottom of the glass jar and place the lid on tight. Now, lets say that the glass jar is the skull that houses the brain, and that the egg is the brain inside the skull. Now shake the jar hard. That is the effect that shaking a baby can have on the brain.

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