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The Signs and Symptoms of Shaken Baby Syndrome in Madisonville, Kentucky
Baptist Health Deaconess Madisonville. January 28, 2020
Signs of shaken baby syndrome include irritability and head trauma. Learn more about shaken baby syndrome and its symptoms with Baptist Health Madisonville.
HealthTalks Transcript
Alejandro Soriano, MD, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine:
Shaken baby syndrome is when a baby’s head is jerked front-to-back or sideways. With the neck muscles so immature, the baby doesn’t have the right mechanism to prevent the brain from sloshing inside the skull. Bleeding inside the head and swelling of the brain can happen. This can cause learning disabilities, irreversible brain damage, blindness, deafness, seizures, paralysis or death. Oftentimes, infants who have survived this condition may need lifelong medical care.
Shelby Hill, parent, Madisonville, Kentucky:
Wyatt is a survivor of shaken baby syndrome. In 2016, I was dating a guy who shook him while I was taking a shower. In those few minutes, Wyatt’s whole life changed. He’s 3 years old now, and he’s still living and still with us, and he does do more than breathe. He doesn’t do what a normal 3-year-old should do, by no means, but we just continue to give him the best life that we possibly can. The advice I would give to a new parent is first of all, be very cautious of who you leave your baby with. If you are feeling stressed, the best thing to do is really to just walk away and take a break. Give yourself a few minutes and then go back and check on your baby.