Shaken baby syndrome

A letter published last year in the The Lancet suggested that shaken baby syndrome may be much more common than we think. Dr Robert Minns’ research at the Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children shows that around 25 children per 100,000 may suffer from non-accidental head injury, caused by shaking, hitting or being dropped. Past studies put the figure at less than half this number. Dr Minns believes the average age for such abuse is around two months, not five months as previously thought. Babies living in towns and cities are more vulnerable, and autumn and winter are the most common times for it to happen.

Shaking a baby is likely to cause much more damage than hitting them. This was dramatically illustrated by doctors at Birmingham University who used a cracked egg suspended in a jar of water to represent a baby’s skull and cerebro-spinal fluid. They showed that unless the jar was struck hard enough to break the glass, the force of the blow could not make the egg yolk touch the sides. However, when the jar was shaken, the egg yolk quickly became damaged.

Many mothers will admit that there are times when looking after a baby is so emotionally demanding, they feel like giving their baby a shake. If Dr Minn’s research is correct, it’s easy to see why an infant may be especially vulnerable at two months. This is the time when sleep deprivation for a nursing mum may be at its worst. The flowers have been binned, the congratulation cards have been taken down and the well-wishers have vanished. You’re alone for long periods with a constantly squalling baby. Colic reaches its peak at six weeks, and can go on for months. If the weather is cold and you’re trapped alone indoors, you feel at your wits end.