How many babies die from shaking

This motion causes blood vessels within the skull to tear and blood to pool inside the skull, producing irreparable damage to the baby's brain. Shaking can cause many health problems, such as brain injury, cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing loss, learning and behavior problems, seizures, paralysis, and death. There are often no external signs that the baby has been shaken, but there may be bruising or broken bones where the baby was held while being shaken.

Shaking a baby is a very dangerous form of child abuse. One in four children who is shaken dies from their injuries. So it can be hard for doctors to figure out that a baby was harmed. If a child's problems are mild, they might not be noticed until the child starts school and has problems with learning, focus, or behavior. After abusive head trauma,a child may need long-term care from a team of health experts, such as:. They also need a pediatrician who can manage their ongoing complex care.

They also might need support from therapists, such as:. Before age 3, a child can receive free speech therapy or physical therapy through state-run programs. After age 3, the child's school district's provides any needed special educational services. As kids get older, they may need special schooling and ongoing help to build language and daily living skills, like dressing. A key part of prevention is increasing awareness of the dangers of shaking:. Reviewed by: Stephanie A. Deutsch, MD.

Because there is currently no reliable method of collecting these statistics, the true incidence is unknown. This syndrome is the most common cause of death and long-term disability in infants and young children who are victims of child abuse. There is often no obvious external evidence of injury or physical sign of violence, resulting in under diagnosis of this syndrome. Symptoms vary and are caused by generalized brain swelling secondary to trauma.

They may appear immediately after the shaking and usually reach a peak within hours. The following signs and symptoms may indicate shaken baby syndrome:. The prognosis for victims of shaken baby syndrome varies with the severity of injury but generally is poor. Many cases are fatal or lead to severe neurological deficits. Death is usually caused by uncontrollable increased intracranial pressure from cerebral edema, bleeding within the brain or tears in the brain tissue.

However, even babies with injuries that appear to be mild may show developmental difficulties. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Shaken baby syndrome — also known as abusive head trauma, shaken impact syndrome, inflicted head injury or whiplash shake syndrome — is a serious brain injury resulting from forcefully shaking an infant or toddler.

Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Mian M, et al. Shaken baby syndrome: A review. Fetal and Pediatric Pathology, ; Dias MS, et al. Association of a postnatal parent education program for abusive head trauma with subsequent pediatric abusive head trauma hospitalization rates. JAMA Pediatrics. NINDS shaken baby syndrome information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Accessed Sept.