Preventing Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) by teaching professionals more adequately

Abstract

Evaluate the professionals’ knowledge over SBS in order to adapt their training. A quiz was set up to know professionals’ knowledge over: intensity of the movement; frequence of the recurrence; shaking a baby vs. willing only to shake it; existence of sequels, their intensity and evolution over time; knowledge that SBS is a penal offense giving way to financial compensations; knowledge of guidelines to professionals issued by the national authority of health. 393 physicians/judges and professionals of childcare went through this test. Whatever the speciality, most of the professionals were not able to answer correctly. Typically, they thought that the mechanism was not necessarily violent/that lesions can be induced by game/that most often shaking is not repeated/that it does not trigger sequels/that sequels vanish with time/as well, they ignored that shaking is a penal offense giving way to financial compensation as well as the existence of official guidelines on SBS. Lack of knowledge in this field is detrimental to children. For instance, detecting the first signs of violence is crucial to prevent reiteration. Taking care adequately of the brain-injured children is crucial to prevent sequels. Better training for everyone is the key.