Why do babies CRY?
Crying is the only way babies have to tell us that they need something.
They might need to eat, to have their diaper changed or to be held.
The baby could be too hot or too cold or in pain. Sometimes babies
cry because they need to release some tension of their own. Crying
is normal. The amount of time a baby spends crying varies with age,
health and temperament.
Why do parents and caregivers become FRUSTRATED and ANGRY?
Crying is an annoying sound. It is supposed to be. If it
was a pleasant sound, crying would be easy to ignore and the baby's needs
would never be met. Unfortunately, parents and caregivers are not
always able to stop the crying. When a baby cries a lot and is not
easily consoled, the parent or caregiver may start to doubt their own abilities
to care for the baby. Lack of sleep and other life stresses can increase
the feelings of helplessness and frustration. Sometimes parents or
caregivers believe that a crying baby is misbehaving on purpose.
What can a parent or caregiver do?
Stay calm. A frustrated or angry parent or caregiver will have
a hard time getting a baby to settle down. If feeding, changing,
walking, rocking and cuddling have not worked, the baby should be gently
placed in a safe place and allowed to "cry it out" for a few minutes.
The parent or caregiver can use the time to relax and calm down before
making another attempt to console the baby.
NEVER SHAKE A BABY!
Shaking a baby in a moment of frustration can cause serious harm or
death. When an infant is shaken, the head jerks back and forth rapidly
causing the brain to slam repeatedly against the inside of the skull.
Blood vessels in and around the brain are damaged and begin to bleed into
the brain and into the space between the brain and the skull. The
bleeding and swelling of the brain causes pressure to build up inside the
child's head. The resulting damage can cause permanent disability
or even death. Because babies have weak neck muscles and heavy heads, even
a few seconds of forceful shaking can cause serious damage to babies and
small children. Children under one year of age, especially
baby boys, are most at risk. Older children can also be hurt if they
are shaken hard.
What happens to shaken babies?
As many as one third of the victims of Shaken Baby Syndrome die.
The survivors often suffer lifelong disabilities due to the brain injury
such as:
Some babies who are shaken also have broken ribs or arms from being
held tightly by the person doing the shaking.
How much shaking is dangerous?
Victims of Shaken Baby Syndrome have been violently shaken. Their
injuries are at least as severe as that which would occur if an infant
was dropped from a high building. Although it is unlikely that severe
injuries would occur from tossing an infant in the air playfully or bouncing
a small child on a knee, parents and caregivers should always consider
the fragility of an infant's brain and the need to support the head and
neck. Even minor injuries to a baby's brain can have life long consequences.
How can Shaken Baby Syndrome be prevented?
Providing information on the care and normal development of infants
is an essential element in the prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome.
It is also important that parents and caregivers understand that the feelings
of frustration they experience are common and very normal. Learning
how to handle those feelings can be made easier through community education
and support programs.
It is important that all caregivers know that SHAKING IS DANGEROUS.
Parents should ensure that babysitters and daycare providers are informed
and experienced.
Information on Shaken Baby Syndrome adapted from:
Bonnier, Christine et al. Outcome and Prognosis
of Whiplash Shaken Infant Syndrome; Late Consequences after a Symptom-Free
Interval. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 1995;37.
Butler, Gail. Shaken Baby Syndrome. Journal of Psycho-social
Nursing 1995;33,no.9.
Chiocca, Ellen M. Shaken Baby Syndrome: A
Nursing Perpective. Pediatric Nursing 1995;21,no.1.
Midwest Children's Resource Center (MCRC) - Children's
Health Care - St. Paul Minnesota - pamphlet and fact sheet
Showers, Jacy. The National Conference on Shaken
Baby Syndrome - A Legal & Prevention Challenge, Executive Summary,
National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions 1996/97.
Starling, Suzanne et al. Abusive Head Trauma:
The relationship of perpetrators to their victims. Pediatrics 1995;95,no.2.
For printed copies of this Fact Sheet, contact the Saskatchewan Institute
on Prevention of Handicaps.
