Picture yourself with a brand new child, Holding it in your arms, comforting it, and putting it back to rest in its crib. Then you go about your day at home when all of a sudden the baby starts to cry very loud and doesn't stop. You start getting frustrated so you walk to where the baby is at and start to shake it so it will be quiet. After about ten seconds it calms down, and then falls asleep again. The baby doesn't cry again for a long time so you go back to check on it about two hours later. You notice the baby isn't moving, breathing, or showing any signs of life. What you don't know is that you just committed a murder called Shaken Baby Syndrome. Another term that is close to Shaken Baby Syndrome that I will be discussing in my paper is Abusive Head Trauma. Shaken Baby Syndrome is defined as shaking an infant or young child vigorously by the arms, legs, chest, or shoulders. This forceful shaking can result in brain damage leading to mental retardation, speech, learning disabilities, paralysis, seizures, hearing loss, blindness and even death. Shaken baby syndrome is very difficult to diagnose unless someone who is professionally trained knows what to look for. Physicians often report that infants with possible S.B.S. is brought to a medical facility due to falls, difficulty breathing, seizures, vomiting, consciousness, or choking. These diagnostics usually are from an internal head injury given to the baby by the shaking. To diagnose S.B.S, doctors look for retinal hemorrhages (bleeding in the retinas of the eyes), subdural hematoma (blood in the brain), and increased head size showing excessive fluid in the brain tissues (Squier, (2011), p. 521). If you see your child with bruises on their face or head could be caused by... ... middle of paper ... ...ldren, including statistics, risk factors, symptoms, therapies,and the long-term consequences of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse and neglect, featuring facts about Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP),abusive head trauma, corporal punishment, parental substance abuse,incest, and child exploitation ; along with information about Child Protective Services, reporting abuse and neglect, legal protections, Juvenile Court,foster care and adoption, and parenting strategies, a glossary of relatedterms, and directories of resources for additional help and information.Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics. Stoll, B., & Anderson, J. K. (2013). Prevention of Abusive Head Trauma: A Literature Review. Pediatric Nursing, 39(6), 300-308. Squier, W. (2011). The "Shaken Baby" syndrome: pathology and mechanisms. Acta Neuropathologica, 122(5), 519-542. doi:10.1007/s00401-011-0875-2
Authorities are investigating what seems to be an indication of murder after an infant child was discovered stuffed in the microwave early morning by relatives. Elizabeth Renee Otte and Joseph Anthony Martinez Sr., the mother and father of infant baby Joseph Lewis Martinez Jr. lived with the father’s elder parents in a small, one brick rancher in Lanexa, Virginia. Elizabeth Otte, who apparently suffers from severe epileptic seizures and blackouts up to 50 minutes, claims that she remembers nothing about the incident besides feeding the child. Is it possible that she could have become so disorientated after a blackout that it cause her to mistaken Joseph Lewis Martinez for a bottle of milk that needed warming, placing him in the
Reviewing the 12 Core Concepts of the National Child Trauma Stress Network, James is suffering from three of the 12 concepts. Number 1 core concept, Traumatic experience are inherently complex. Traumatic experiences are inherently complex no experience are the same varying degrees of objective life threat, physical violation, witnessing of an injury or death. The victim perceives their surroundings and decides what is best for them now safety and self-protection. Number 4 core concept, A child or adolescent can exhibit an extensive range of reactions to suffering and loss. Number 9 core concept, the developmental neurobiology triggers a youth’s reactions to traumatic experience. In this paper, we will be covering another trauma that affects the social worker or case worker who works on these cases of
Perry, B., (2009). Examining child maltreatment through a neurodevelopmental lens: Clinical applications of the neurosequential model of therapeutics. Journal of loss and trauma, 14: 240-55. doi:10.1080/15325020903004350
Subsequently, the author questions the level of care and produced anxiety that they received within the correctional facility in the late 1950s (Finance Committee, 2013). According to Farmer (2009), “[The child’s] sensitive developmental period (i.e. more sensitive to environmental input) is primarily in utero, and insults that occur during this third trimester of pregnancy can adversely affect brainstem functions (e.g., sleep, feeding, self-soothing)” (p. 89).
Twenty five to thirty percent of babies shaken die (National Shaken Baby Syndrome). Immediate medical attention can help reduce the impact of shaking, but many children are left with permanent damage from the shaking. The treatment of survivors falls into 3 major categories. Those categories are medical, behavioral, and educational. In addition to medical care, children may need speech and language therapy, vision therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and special education services. (Showers, 1997) Many incidents of Shaken Baby Syndrome are not reported out of fear. It is important to seek immediate and early medical attention. Serious complications and even death can be avoided.
Shaken baby syndrome or SBS according to google is, “an injury to a baby caused by being shaken violently and repeatedly.” 80% of babies who have SBS suffer from lifelong disabilities. These disabilities include speech and learning disabilities, seizures, hearing loss, and sometimes can result in death. Shaken baby syndrome is very dangerous, and can be avoided. Parents should be informed on the long lasting effects of shaken baby syndrome. There are designated classes to take, so people can be aware of the effects of SBS and what to do when a baby has been shook. Even if you’re not a parent, it is still encouraged for any caregiver or babysitter, or anyone who deals with infants on a daily basis, to take this class to be aware. Most times SBS occurs when a baby is 6 months or younger.
Miehl, N. (2005). Shaken baby syndrome. Journal of Forensic Nursing 1(3), 111-117. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.parkland.edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&sid=5afd0ec9-9244-4874-888f-58b9a8746292%40sessionmgr4004&hid=4214
“Tutorial 7 · Recognizing and Addressing Trauma in Infants, Young Children, and Their Families.” Trauma Signs and Symptoms, 3 Dec. 2017, www.ecmhc.org/tutorials/trauma/mod3_1.html.
Some of the key distinctions are that the young brain is largely not myelinated. Myelin is the coating of nerve fibers that connect nerve cells, similar to coating on a telephone wire, it helps transmission but it also gives strength. And so when you violently shake the young brain, you have a much greater chance to disrupt nerve fibers and their connections than you do an adult brain.
Not only are these children affected for the rest of their lives, but the offender, in many countries, will face criminal charges for having shaken the child. Since prevention is better than cure, it is imperative that people are educated about SBS via various platforms. Furthermore, high-risk parents, and all parents in general, should have great support from family and close friends to assist them in times when they are overwhelmed. This is only natural given the demanding nature of raising children. Notwithstanding this truth, SBS is preventable and no one should ever shake a baby.
Children experience decreased development in the left brain when traumatic events occur (Network, n.d.). Imagine being a child and growing up with these types of events occurring. A traumatic event in a child’s life can cause a child to experience a long lasting negative effect. Life events are happening everywhere and more often in the lives of children (Understanding Child Traumatic Stress, n.d.). Trauma can cause them to do three things. First, they try to see what the danger is and how serious it is. Secondly there are strong emotional and physical reactions. Thirdly they attempt to come up with what to do that can help them with the danger. Traumatic events can cause a child to develop differently, which effects the young child stage,
According to an article based on child abuse “The HHS indicates in Child Maltreatment 2008 states CPS agencies received about 3.3 million reports of child maltreatment involving 6 million children.”(Doak, Defining Child Abuse and Domestic Violence) Child abuse whether it is physical, emotional, neglect or sexual it usually is caused by either parents, guardians or others who take care of the child. Physical abuse is distinguished by injuries such as beating or by harsh discipline. Pushing around a child excessively by either smacking, beating, shaking, shoving, stabbing, throwing, kicking, choking or biting are all under the category of physical abuse because that is the harm that is left on a child’s body after that type of abuse. In most cases the abuser isn’t really aware of how much force they use on their victim, it’s them showing a sign of discipline on the child In some studies it is stated that two out of three children are physically abused. Some physical signs for this abuse would be unexplained injuries that are not affected by normal childhood activities, repeated injuries such as from a hand, a belt
The parent or caretaker may claim that the child did not intend to hurt the child, that the injury was an accident. It may however, have been the result of over-discipline or physical punishment that is inappropriate to the child?s age. In 1998 NCANDS (National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System) calculated the Fatalities by Maltreatment, Child Abuse and Neglect.... ... middle of paper ... ...
Violence is a common cause of TBI. This is especially true for acts of intentional aggression, such as when one individual assaults or abuses another. Research has shown that TBI caused by child abuse has a high mortality rate, and even those who survive still suffer the side effects of the injuries. A study was conducted involving pediatric patients from 2001 to 2010 in order to determine if victims of nonaccidental trauma (NAT) suffered an increased risk of morbidity from TBI. According to Deans, Minneci, Lowell, and Groner (2013), NAT resulting in head trauma is generally caused by “not only deceleration injuries but also repetitive high-velocity rotational forces (shaking), resulting in a more global injury called diffuse axonal injury (DAI) or s...
Head trauma accounts as one of most common injuries and the leading cause of mortality among pediatric population [CDC]. The seriousness of identifying clinically-important Traumatic Brain Injury (ci-TBI) following head trauma necessitates the use of Computerized Tomography (CT) scan. Currently, CT scans are used as reference standard of diagnostic modality. This imaging modality is highly sensitive in diagnosing intracranial injuries and classifying patients needing neurosurgical intervention. The neurological manifestations following head trauma range from loss of consciousness to life-threatening injuries. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) identifies Minor Head Injury (MHI) in otherwise healthy children more than 2 years of age as