Shaken child syndrome, be careful with the way you move your child

The delicacy of a baby causes parents to take extreme precautions in their care. There are quite a few dangers that a priori are not appreciated but can cause serious problems and long-term consequences in the smallest of the house. For example, the way in which children of these ages are moved, which, because they do not have complete bone development, are susceptible to serious injuries.

At these ages the cervical and other areas of the body of the babies are not developed, so if they receive a sudden movement or too serious, they can suffer some quite hard injury. In the world it is estimated that it affects 25 children per 100,000. The problems derived from these violent swings for the little one are known as "Shaken Baby Syndrome".


Origin of the syndrome of the shaken child

Babies have a head larger that the rest of the body, in fact this zone can suppose until 25% of the weight of the children to these ages. At the same time, the muscles of the neck are not yet developed, so they are unable to hold up well the test of the little ones that are more vulnerable to some situations that for adults, or children of more years, would not have any danger.

The shaken baby syndrome occurs when a child is subjected to a more abrupt movement. A few seconds of shaking are enough to generate a serious injury in babies. One of the most common situations in which these more violent balances occur is when parents see how their children They do not calm down and try to lower their nerves by rocking them, increasing the intensity.


Less common is the syndrome of the shaken child product of a "revival"at the time of awakening or when they try to get their gas and clap their back too hard." Other origins are the parents who repeatedly throw the baby into the air, something that can be done constantly can cause an injury in the little ones .

The syndrome of the shaken child can cause long-term sequelae and even cause death in extreme cases. From difficulty to learn to speak, or a lesser ease when it comes to learning to speak are some of the consequences derived from these problems.

Prevent the syndrome of the shaken child

The first step recommended by professionals, such as those of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, AEP, it is recommended to always stay calm. As much as the child cries, parents should be calm and not transmit their nerves with sudden movements that uselessly seek to calm the child. Adults must be aware of their strength and know that they can cause serious injuries to children.


When a child I cried, the first step will have to be to look for the cause: hunger, sleep, needs a change, inability to fall asleep, some illness. If you choose to hold the baby in your arms to calm it down, the movements will have to be soft and caresses should be included without much force. Never, in any case, you have to lose patience in these cases.

Damián Montero

Video: Shaken Baby Syndrome Brain Injury


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