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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffShaken baby syndrome symptoms and signs include:
- Extreme irritability
- Difficulty staying awake
- Breathing problems
- Poor eating
- Tremors
- Vomiting
- Pale or bluish skin
- Seizures
- Paralysis
- Coma
Other injuries that may not be noticeable include bleeding in the brain and eye, damage to the spinal cord and neck, and fractures of the ribs, skull and bones. Evidence of prior child abuse also is common.
In mild cases of shaken baby syndrome, a child may appear normal after being shaken — but over time he or she may develop health, learning or behavior problems.
When to see a doctor
If you're concerned that your child has been injured by violent shaking, seek help immediately. Contact your child's doctor or take your child to the nearest emergency room. Getting medical care right away may save your child's life or prevent serious health problems. Keep in mind that health care professionals are legally required to report all suspected cases of child abuse to state authorities.
- Parenting corner Q&A: Shaken baby syndrome. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.aap.org/publiced/BR_ShakenBaby.htm. Accessed Aug. 10, 2009.
- American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect. Shaken baby syndrome: Rotational cranial injuries - Technical report. Pediatrics. 2001;108:206.
- Never shake your baby! March of Dimes. http://www.marchofdimes.com/prematurity/28127.asp. Accessed Aug. 10, 2009.
- Christian CW, et al. Abusive head trauma in infants and children. Pediatrics. 2009;123:1409.
- NINDS shaken baby syndrome information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/shakenbaby/shakenbaby.htm. Accessed Aug. 10, 2009.
- Christian C, et al. Epidemiology, mechanisms, and types of abusive head injury in infants and children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 11, 2009.
- Christian C, et al. Evaluation and diagnosis of abusive head injury in infants and children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 11, 2009.
