Shaken baby syndrome

- WHO states that 25-50% of all children are subjected to some kind of violence. Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is a severe oh head trauma and occurs when the child is subjected to rapid acceleration, deceleration and rotational forces with or without trauma, resulting in subdural hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, retina hemorrhage, and encephalopathy or bone fractures with no cranial external damage. Extreme stress can impair the development of the nervous and immune systems. Consequently, as adults, these children are at increased risk for several health problems. A number of risk factors for child maltreatment have been identified: children under 3 years old (higher in infants), prematurity, chronic or congenital disorders, behavioral disorders and insomnia. It is present on every socioeconomic class. Worldwide incidence is believed to be 14-40.5/100000 children per year; Mortality rates are 13-36%; Morbidity rates are 62-96%. There can be a history of several accidental traumas, trauma not seen by caregiver, generally with plausible explanation. Clinical features are unspecific, but it can lead us to suspect this kind of maltreatment. The objective of this presentation is to raise awareness for SBS and the need for prevention, its risk factor and consequences and to highlight the hints we can find on physical exam. - Search on PubMed, Medline and WHO, SPP and UNICEF websites with MeSH terms Shaken Baby Syndrome, SBS e Abusive Head Trauma. - Prevention and education are crucial to reduce the number of children with chronic health disorders caused by Shaken Baby Syndrome.