here are 11 signs to spot and 8 techniques to avoid it, according to an expert

In France, 500 shaken babies are diagnosed every year. Among them, more than 10% die, while 75% have irreversible consequences (disabilities, etc.). This is the case of Tom, who died in September 2014 following three shocks from his maternal assistant. It was following this tragic event that her father, Bertrand Gimonet, decided that the fight against shaken baby syndrome (SBS) would be his fight. Invested in this cause for 10 years, he works forAssociation Childhood and Sharingwhich provides prevention supports against violence against children, and chairs the France Bébé Secoué Association, which he created in November 2023. He is also the author of the children’s book Tom’s return to school, shaken baby.

According to him, the SBS, a “child abuse still too taboo”East “A act voluntary carried out by an exasperated adult”can we read on his site. In a large majority of cases, the adult takes the child by the thorax and shakes him violently back and forth, leading to primary brain lesions (hematomas, hemorrhages, etc.) and/or secondary (developmental delay, severe epilepsy, paralysis, etc.). Very often, and particularly in cases of head trauma, the damage to the brain is irreversible, or even fatal.

What are the signs of Shaken Baby Syndrome?

Here are the 11 signs that could indicate SBS:

• Severe discomfort, difficulty breathing, severe apnea or even cardio-respiratory arrest
• Projectile vomiting without fever or diarrhea
• Sudden motor deficit, psychomotor regression (the child used to sit up alone but can no longer do so)
• Repetitive or non-repeated seizures that lead to a serious epileptic condition
• Extreme paleness, lethargy (as if he had been punched)
• Loss of visual contact, strabismus (there is neurological damage)
• Skin lesions, fractures, bruises and bruises
• Change in tone
• Bombastic fontanelle
• Upward break in head circumference curve, increase in larger circumference
• Sleep problems, eating problems, painful babies, irritability, unusual crying (the baby may actually be in pain)

Bertrand Gimonet reminds us that Shaken Baby Syndrome can occur (and be fatal) “from the first shake”. When you shake a baby, “we also shake our brain, which does not take up all the space in the head. Like a walnut in its shell, the brain hits against the skull. This can cause bleeding, shearing, which breaks the neuronal areas and which are irreparable”, he adds. Be careful, he specifies, these signs, especially if they are isolated, “does not necessarily mean that your baby has been shaken”. “Each situation is different. You must consult to eliminate other pathologies”he concludes.

What are the risk factors for Shaken Baby Syndrome?

For adults, the risk factors are:

• Multiple pregnancies (which increase the risk 4 to 5 times)
• Closely spaced, twin or unwanted pregnancies
• Precariousness, social or family isolation
• Lack of understanding of the child’s needs
• Parental immaturity
• History of violence suffered in childhood
• Domestic violence
• Addictions

For infants, the risk factors are:

• Children with disabilities
• Boys (who represent 65 to 75% of cases)
• Premature babies (which increase the risk 2 to 3 times) or medical complications
• The inconsolable tears
• Difficulties in acquiring a regular sleep rhythm
• Eating difficulties
• Medical pathologies (gastroesophageal reflux, for example)

What to do to avoid Shaken Baby Syndrome?

“A child arriving in a young couple is a tsunami,” explains Bertrand Gimonet. Between sleep, feeding, development, crying attacks… Parents face many doubts and misunderstandings, sometimes even if it means feeling incompetent or guilty when it comes to their baby. “But a baby cries a lot, even if you take good care of it, it’s completely normal,” believes the specialist. “This does not make the parent or childminder a bad person”.

If your baby won’t stop crying, check to see if he has any special needs (maybe he’s hungry, thirsty, hot, or needs to be changed). If you can’t identify the reason for his screaming and he doesn’t seem to want to calm down, you can try these 8 calming techniques:

• Carrying
• Skin to skin
• Massages
• Broadcasting soft music
• Nutritious sucking or not
• Walks
• The rockings
• The bath

“As parents, you have to know your limits”

If, despite this, you cannot calm down your child, you feel at the end of your rope and the anger and exasperation (or even violence) become uncontrollable, here is the advice to follow from Bertrand Gimonet:

• Place baby on his back in bed
• Leave the room your baby is in
• Close the door to his room
• Calm down with soothing activities (yoga, shower, meditation, cooking, etc.)
• Call your partner or a hotline to discuss

“To avoid SBS, it is better to let your baby cry for 1/2 hour and take the time to calm down”, insists the expert. The latter also recommends that parents learn to know their limits. For example, ask yourself these types of questions: “What exasperates you?”, “What annoys you and makes you angry?”, “How does it express itself in you and in terms of violence?”.

“Recognizing these moments and identifying the physical effects that can accompany them (clammy skin, heatstroke, racing pulse, etc.) allows you to know when to say stop and distance yourself from your baby”he warns. “We have the right not to know how to handle a baby, but we cannot hit or shake him”. Bertrand Gimonet recommends that all young parents ask for help and talk about it (to their loved ones but also to their midwife, child care provider or pediatrician). “Human means exist, so don’t tell yourself that you are alone with your baby (and don’t feel guilty)”he concludes.

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Rights of women and children, violence, feminism, gender, discrimination, parenthood, education, psychology, health, couple, sexuality, social networks…. Joséphine loves deciphering all the social issues that drive our world…