Medical Health Encyclopedia

Shaken baby syndrome

Causes:

In most cases, an angry parent or caregiver shakes the baby to punish or quiet the child. Many times the caregiver did not intend to harm the baby. Nevertheless, it is a form of child abuse.

Shaken baby syndrome does not result from gentle bouncing, playful swinging or tossing the child in the air, or jogging with the child. It also is very unlikely to occur from accidents like falling off chairs or down stairs, or accidentally being dropped from a caregiver's arms. Short falls may cause other types of head injuries, although these are often minor.

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