Shaken baby syndrome, in one case out of four the newborn suffers dramatic consequences

There Shaken baby syndromea form of brain trauma that can occur in newborns if shaken violentlycan lead to coma or death in one case out of four. The most affected are children between two weeks and six months of lifeperiod of maximum intensity of the infant's crying, an event that can lead the parent or carer of the child to operate clumsy consolatory maneuvers, like shaking. These are data that emerge from the «First investigation into the cases of boys and girls victims of Shaken Baby Syndrome in Italy» carried out by the FTerre des Hommes wave with the hospital network for the prevention of child abuse.

Because of this Terre des Hommeswhich has always been active for the protection of minors, together with Simeup (Italian Society of Pediatric Emergency Medicine) and with the support of Anpas, Fimp and of Hospital network against child maltreatment, on April 7th it will be present in over 25 Italian cities, with information points on Shaken baby syndrome and how to prevent it. The initiative will bring the campaign to the public spaces of the cities involved for the first time Don't shake it! launched by the organization in 2017 and already presented and disseminated during institutional events, training and awareness courses for parents, healthcare workers and childcare facilities.

«Often parents or those who find themselves having to manage a newborn they don't know the risks that shaking their baby can lead to and sometimes, exhausted by crying that may appear inconsolable in the first months of life, they risk engaging in incorrect behavior, which can prove to be very dangerous – he explains Federica Giannottahead of Advocacy and Italian programs at Terre des Hommes – for this reason it is essential to spread knowledge of the phenomenon and have a day dedicated to this purpose.”

Furthermore, from the first investigation into the cases of boys and girls victims of Shaken baby syndrome in Italy, it emerges that many of the children affected by this syndrome, in one case in three, had already been taken to the emergency room and showed other signs of mistreatment.

«Keeping awareness of the phenomenon of child maltreatment alive among emergency workers is essential to be able to recognize the symptoms of Shaken Baby Syndrome early, but above all to carry out prevention, providing the right messages to parents» he adds Stefania Zampogna, president Simeup. The baby is between a few weeks of life and 6 months old he doesn't have control of the boss yet because the neck muscles are weak, the head is heavy compared to the body, and the brain, of a gelatinous consistency, moves inside the skull if shaken, and the bone structure is still fragile. The consequences of a violent shaking, even if for a few seconds, can therefore be particularly unfortunate and can lead to coma or death of the child in up to one case in four. All information, including any symptoms such as lethargy, extreme irritability, reduced appetite or difficulty breathing, is listed on a dedicated page.

Three symptoms for diagnosis

Specifically, the website of the Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital points out, i three symptoms which allow the diagnosis to be made but which are not always present are:

• Subdural hematomablood effusion in the meninges which can cause simple nausea, dizziness, up to more serious symptoms such as alterations in the state of consciousness and coma;
• Cerebral edema, accumulation of fluid in the brain which swells (edema) and compresses the blood capillaries, thus blocking the flow of blood and the arrival of oxygen to the brain; It manifests itself with symptoms that can range from simple headaches to attacks epilepsy and loss of consciousness;
• Retinal hemorrhage with the appearance of tiny blood spots on the retina that can be observed with an instrument called an ophthalmoscope.

The information points on Shaken Baby Syndrome will be, on Sunday 7 April, in Abruzzo in Chieti, L'Aquila, Pescara and Teramo, in Basilicata in Potenza, in Calabria in Cetraro and Molochio, in Campania in Naples, in Liguria in Genoa, in Lombardy in Milan and Brescia, in Molise in Campobasso, in Piedmont in Turin, Ovada, Savigliano, Alessandria and Cuneo, in Puglia in Bari, in Corato and Foggia, in Sardinia in Cagliari, in Sicily in Palermo, Messina and Catania, Trapani and Syracuse , in Tuscany, in Florence, in Trentino-Alto Adige, in Merano and Lana, in Umbria in Foligno and in Veneto in Padua, Vicenza, Rovigo and Venice. The updated list with all the cities involved is on nonscutorerlo.it.