Shaken Baby Syndrome: A Case Report

ABSTRACT

Shaken baby syndrome (SBS) is an extremely serious form of abusive head trauma that occurs when infants are subjected to rapid acceleration, deceleration, and rotational forces, with or without impact, resulting in a unique constellation of fractures, intracranial hemorrhages, and intraocular hemorrhages. Presenting complaints are often nonspecific; hence, it is important that all health care providers be able to recognize the clinical features that constitute SBS. Infants who have been shaken and injured have a high mortality rate. Approximately 25% of shaken babies die from their traumatic brain injuries. The infants who do not die may have permanent, often severe damage to their vision, hearing, thinking, and learning capabilities. They may be blind, have seizures, have spasticity, have small heads with lack of growth of brain tissues, and may be severely mentally retarded. Prevention is the best care for SBS, and community education of parents and guardians may reduce the incidence of SBS. We report a case of SBS without external signs of trauma.