Aminat looked at her nine-month old baby and found it hard to believe that he’d never be able to see again. In fact, she couldn’t believe that the few minutes of emotional imbalance she experienced will cause such irreparable damage to her son.
What exactly happened?
Read on to find out.
Of course, Aminat didn’t know the exact time it happened. However, she was certain of one thing; immediately she started noticing the strange symptoms in her son, she rushed him to the hospital.
After a few tests and observation, the doctors concluded that her son experienced Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Shaken baby syndrome is also known as shaken impact syndrome, abusive head trauma, whiplash shake syndrome, or inflicted head injury. It is a serious brain injury that results from shaking an infant with force. It is common among children less than 2 years.
It’s important to note that this is different from gently playing with your baby by tossing him/her into the air or bouncing him or her on your knee. It is also very unlikely that your baby will get shaken injuries by falling off the chair, minor falls, rough plays or when you suddenly make a stop in the car.
Babies struggle to support their heavy heads with their weak neck muscles. Shaking a baby forcefully causes his or her brain to move back and forth inside the skull hitting the inner walls of the skull. This results in swelling, bleeding, and bruising.
When a parent, nanny, babysitter or any other person employed to take care of a baby severely shakes the baby due to anger, frustration or any other reason, shaken syndrome can occur.
The following can make a parent or caregiver to forcefully shake a baby:
In mild cases of shaken baby syndrome, a child may appear normal after being shaken, but over time he or she may develop health or behavioural problems. The following are the major symptoms of shaken baby syndrome:
These are: irritability or fussiness, coma, paralysis, inability to move a part of the body, inability to stay awake, no smiling or talking, inability to focus, seizures and convulsions.
Babies with shaken baby syndrome may also have invisible symptoms which includes:
My mother / mother in law has been giving me angst about the fact that I don’t throw my baby in the air after the traditional bath and massage.
Your baby is going to get scared easily when she grows up” she says with a scoff . “Children of nowadays
Says Every Nigerian Grandma
While we would really like to call those grandma’s out on this one. This practice of throwing babies may not cause shaken baby syndrome.
However, there’s the chance that baby can slip and fall… the way it’s usually done so we don’t endorse this practice. Either way, we don’t think it makes kids brave either. Nigerians are still the first to start running at the sign of any danger… real or perceived.
It is important to seek immediate medical help if you suspect that your child has been injured by violent shaking. Get fast medical care may save your baby’s life or prevent serious health problems.
If you do this and stick to the preventive tips above, everything will be fine.
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