Shaken Baby Syndrome 

Shaken Baby Syndrome is a life-threatening, abusive head injury caused by violent shaking of a baby, resulting in brain, retinal, hearing injury, mental and physical disabilities, and even death.  

Shaken Baby Syndrome occurs mostly due to parental exhaustion, lack of sleep, stress, frustration, substance abuse, alcohol, and teenage parenting. 

What to do when your baby does not stop crying and you feel frustrated, irritated, or have reached your limit: 

1. Put your baby in the crib and walk away to another room.
2. Focus your attention on something else, such as watching TV, using your phone, or calling someone, ect.
3. When you feel calmer, come back, and try to calm the baby again.
4. Watch this video for a technique that shows how to calm a baby in 5 seconds: How To Calm A Crying Baby – Dr. Robert Hamilton Demonstrates “The Hold” (Official) – YouTube
5. Walk outside with the baby.
6. Play soft music.
7. Gently pull their legs and bend them toward their chest to help relieve trapped gas that may be causing pain to the baby.
8. Gently move their legs in a bicycle motion to help relieve trapped gas that may be causing pain to the baby. 

If your baby does not quiet down with this technique, try to find other reasons for the baby’s inconsolable crying, such as:  

• Hungry 
• Wet diaper 
• Pain 
• Sleepiness 
• Anxiety 
• Stress 
• Need for attention 
• Need for interaction 
• Need for mental stimulation 
• Colic  
• Gas 
• Illness 
• Fever 
• Temperature of room 

Remember the fragility of a baby’s brain and blood vessels. Stop and realize that violently shaking your baby can result in the becoming paralyzed, blind, deaf, having seizures, learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, and even death. The baby’s head is big and heavy, but the neck is weak and unable to hold up the heavy head when the baby is violently shaken. The delicate blood vessels of the brain will rupture, causing hemorrhage and a lack of blood supply to other areas of the brain cell tissue. The baby’s delicate brain gets damaged due to the direct crash against the walls of the hard skull.