Shaken Baby Syndrome Program
Shaken Baby Syndrome, or more recently known as abusive head trauma, occurs when a parent or caregiver becomes frustrated with a baby’s crying. Long periods of crying have often resulted in a baby being violently shaken (CDC, 2018).
Data indicates that:
- Most babies are under the age of six months and is considered one of the leading causes of death (Don’t Shake).
- There are approximately 1,300 cases per year of shaken baby syndrome in the United States (Don’t Shake).
- It is the leading cause of physical child abuse death for kids under five years of age (CDC, 2018).
San Bernardino County was seeing an increase in child deaths related to shaken baby syndrome through reviewing child deaths at the Child Death Review Team. This lead Children’s Network to develop a prevention education program to reduce the rates of shaken baby syndrome. In 2014, Children’s Network developed the “Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Program.” The program currently collaborates with Arrowhead Regional Medical Center and Barstow Community Hospital. The program educates parents and caregivers, through a PSA, before they are discharged from the hospital after giving birth. They receive a certificate to serve as a reminder to not shake their baby. To date, we have educated over 14,285 families in San Bernardino County.
