The Dangers And Impacts Of Shaking Babies

STARKVILLE, Miss.(WCBI) – The 8 month old baby, we first told you about last Monday, who was violently shaken is expected to live.

This issue raises questions about how can parents cope with the frustrations of soothing restless babies.

The experts say if your baby’s been crying nonstop and is wearing on your patience, shaking is never the answer.

“Babies can die from this,”says pediatrician Dr. Keith Watson.

As a matter of fact current statistics show roughly 1,400 babies die from Shaken Baby Syndrome each year.

Watson says if the baby survives a parents frustration the impacts will be more than just crying.

“Babies can suffer; brain bleeds, seizures, blindness. They can suffer from the bleeding shaking damage to the brain that can then lead to learning impairment, speech delays, poor school performance. Depending on the area of damage in the brain they can have muscle dis-coordination loss of use of arms and legs fingers motor skills of those can all be damaged from baby been shaken,”said Watson.

Watson says the science behind Shaken Baby Syndrome is simple.

“Every time you have a shaking injury the brain is rapidly accelerated and decelerated. It goes back-and-forth as it’s being shaken. That rapid starting, stopping damages the brain tissue itself in addition to the babies head being more at risk for damage,”said Watson.

Nakesha Weaver teaches parenting courses at Emerson Family Resource Center in Starkville. She says unfortunately even the best parents reach a breaking point.

“A baby doesn’t understand when mommy is frustrated from work or daddy is frustrated from work. Mom is having a bad day, dad’s having a bad day. Babies, they play off of mom’s emotions. If mom is frustrated baby’s frustrated, why because baby wants something but mom is frustrated and doesn’t understand what baby wants if she gives him everything. The baby may just want to be held or hugged,”said Weaver.

Weaver says there’s no shame in a mommy asking for a hand.

“Mom needs to understand how to just walk away and come back or ask for help it’s OK to ask someone to come in and help when you need that time to yourself,”said Weaver.

Both professional says if a baby cries continuously after so many hours you should get the little one to a doctor.