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The sections for
the Shaken Baby Syndrome Educational Program are:
“Love
Me…Never Shake Me”
Shaken
Baby Syndrome Educational Program
Facts & Statistics:
Did you know that….
- SBS is one of the most violent forms of child abuse, accounting
for the majority of severe head injuries in children less than
one year of age. It is the most common cause of mortality and
long-term disability in infants and young children due to physical
abuse.
- One quarter of SBS victims die – the remaining are often left with brain damage, hearing and/or sight loss, learning difficulties, seizure disorders, cerebral palsy, and paralysis.
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- Roughly 1/3 of SBS cases are missed the first time.
- Less than 10-15% of shaken babies are believed to completely recover.
- Men are more likely to shake a baby than others (i.e., men represent
over 60% of historical perpetrators). Historical SBS Perpetrators
--
- In SBS cases, perpetrators commonly report that they shook the infant
due to frustration in caring for an infant who was incessantly crying.
- All babies cry…it’s how you, the caregiver, handle the
crying that can be the difference between life and death.
Program
Overview:
The “Love Me…Never
Shake Me” Program is based on a successful educational effort that
has been in place in upstate New York since 1998. Since the launch of
this program, they have seen their number of SBS cases decrease by over
50%. We hope to experience similar results in Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s
primary referral area. Key components of our educational program include:
- Educating all families in the hospital shortly after the birth of
their child.
- Having families watch a short video “Portrait of a Promise”,
review selected educational brochures with a nurse, and sign a Personal
Commitment Statement, indicating that they have received the information
and agree to participate in the program.
- Giving all participants a special gift bag with several educational
brochures, an infant bib customized with our message -- “Love
Me…Never Shake Me”, a photo magnet, and a copy of their
signed personal commitment statement.
- Following-up with a portion of families 3-4 months after their participation
to assess what they remember about the program and what they have done
with the information received.
- Raising community-wide awareness about SBS through the use of billboards,
bus-signs, posters, and movie theatre ads.
If you would like to view
a copy of our Shaken Baby Syndrome Public Service Announcement, please
click here.
Aside from offering this education
within local maternity hospitals, we are also partnering with other organizations
to expand the reach of this program, including: schools and career centers,
parenting programs, home visitation providers, babysitter training courses,
prenatal clinics, physicians’ offices, and correctional facilities.
Our long-term goal is to reach at least 15,000 families of newborns per
year with the hopes of reducing the number of local SBS cases.
To read about the new Shaken Baby Syndrome law, Senate Bill 144 or "Claire's Law" please click here!
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for Coping & Understanding Infant Crying:
- Remember the 2-2-2 theory. Babies can begin to cry as early
as 2 weeks of age, crying peaks at 2 months, and a baby can cry
up to 2 hours per day. Crying is a normal part of infant development.
- Develop an action plan for how you will handle your baby’s
crying. Develop strategies for soothing your child and yourself.
Locate a safe place (e.g., baby’s crib or playpen) where
the baby can lay down while you take a break.
- Be proactive – develop a family support plan of how you
and your family members will support one another during your baby’s
peak crying periods. Also, talk with your child’s caregivers
to develop a plan for communicating with one another, including
relieving your child’s caregiver, if needed, during times
of stress.
- When feeling rattled, first, ensure that baby is in a safe place,
then…
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- Take a break from the crying
- Read a magazine or book
- Take a deep breath
- Call a friend or family
- Take a warm bath
- Exercise
- And, finally, remember…no matter how frustrated you
get, never shake a baby.
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Program
Supporters:
The “Love Me…Never
Shake Me” Educational Program has been generously supported by the
following organizations:
- Abbott Laboratories Fund -- Ross Laboratories
- Kiwanis Club (the Downtown Club) of Columbus, Ohio
- Office of the Ohio Attorney General, Jim Petro
- National Council of Jewish Women, Columbus Section
- Prevent Child Abuse Ohio
To learn more about the Kiwanis Adopt A Bib program, please click here to read the article in the PCAO Fall 2007 Newsletter!
Train
the Trainer Sessions, Program Materials and Program Support:
Prevent Child Abuse Ohio offers
a variety of “Train the Trainer” sessions and opportunities
to assist you in introducing an SBS prevention program within your local
community.
If you are interested in attending a “Train the Trainer” session or in scheduling a time for an educator to visit your facility,
please contact the Prevent Child Abuse Office at (614) 722-4798 or 1-800-CHILDREN.
If you
are interested in ordering SBS Educational materials and would like to view and print a copy of our order form, please click here. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Prevent Child Abuse Ohio's Office at (614) 722-6800.
For
More Information About Shaken Baby Syndrome, please take a moment to look
at the following Web sites:
Brain
Injury Association of the USA
National
Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome
National
Center on Prosecution of Child Abuse
National
Committee to Prevent Child Abuse
Shaken
Baby Alliance
For more information about key
questions to ask of child caregivers, please click
here.
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