Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Research Articles

Interventions to change parental parenting behaviour to reduce unintentional childhood injury: a randomised controlled trial

ObjectiveThe previous study has shown the impact of paternal involvement in childcare on unintentional childhood injury; yet the causality is unknown. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether...

Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Promotion of Safe Sleep

Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Promotion of Safe Sleep

Effect of an Educational Guideline Program on Mothers’ Performance regarding Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention

Effect of an Educational Guideline Program on Mothers’ Performance regarding Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention

Effectiveness of Video Assisted Teaching Programme on Knowledge Regarding Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome among Antenatal Women at Selected Hospitals of Banglore, India

INTRODUCTION: The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of video assisted teaching on knowledge regarding prevention of shaken baby syndrome among antenatal women and also the association between knowledge with their selected socio-demographical variables.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: A one group pre-test and post-test design was adopted. Structured knowledge questionnaire was prepared. The data were collected from 60 women who attend the OPD for antenatal regular checkup using non probability purposive sampling techniques. The reliability of tools was established (0.724).Pilot study was conducted. The data was analyzed and interpreted using descriptive and inferential statistics.
 RESULTS: The findings revealed that the overall mean pre-test Knowledge score was 11.06 and the overall post-test knowledge score was 19.98 respectively. The mean post-test knowledge score of antenatal women who were exposed to video assisted teaching were significantly higher, than the mean pretest knowledge scores. There was suggestive significance between the knowledge scores and demographic variables. The findings suggest that the video assisted teaching program is an effective teaching strategy to enhance the knowledge of antenatal women, regarding prevention of shaken baby syndrome.
 CONCLUSIONS: The post-test knowledge score was higher than pretest knowledge score regarding prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome among antenatal women.The study concluded that, the video assisted teaching Program was an effective teaching strategy, to enhance knowledge of antenatal women regarding prevention of shaken baby syndrome.

"The more preventive we are, the more can we hope to reduce the risk of acting out"

Prevention of shaken baby syndrome exists, but it is still largely insufficient, particularly due to a lack of visibility. In a society where parents are often alone, under great stress and with a demand for perfection, how can these acts be avoided? A meeting with Cécile Morison, a mother and child protection nurse in the Isère region, who offers prevention activities for parents leaving the maternity ward, as well as for childminders.

Effectiveness of an educational video about infant crying on prevention of shaken baby syndrome among pregnant Japanese women and their partners

Objectives Previous studies have shown that educating new mothers or pregnant women about infant crying, may prevent shaken baby syndrome (SBS). However, no studies in Japan have examined the effectiveness of educational materials during pregnancy. This study aims to determine whether pregnant women and their partners improve their knowledge about infant crying and SBS, after watching an educational video created by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare.Methods The study was conducted from April 1, 2013, to March 31, 2014, in 46 municipalities nationwide. Pregnant women and their partners, who participated in prenatal classes, watched the educational video and responded to pre- and post-questionnaires that included questions about: the characteristics of parents and family, and knowledge about infant crying and SBS. Out of the 4769 respondents who completed the questionnaires, responses of 4647 respondents with knowledge about infant crying and SBS were analyzed. We asked six questions about infant crying, such as "When an infant cries it is always a sign that something is wrong", and two questions about SBS, such as "Shaking a baby is a good way to help a baby stop crying" using a 4-point Likert scale (0-3 points). The total scores were calculated and placed within the range of 0 to 100, where higher scores indicated better knowledge. These scores were then compared for the pre- and post-conditions. Furthermore, a stratified analysis was performed based on respondents' characteristics and a regression analysis was conducted to examine the differences in knowledge categorized by these characteristics.Results The scores displayed a significant increase in knowledge about infant crying and SBS by 17.5 points (95% CI; 17.1-17.9) and 6.8 points (95% CI; 6.3-7.2) respectively, after watching the educational video. The results of the stratified analysis found that the effect of the intervention did not differ depending on characteristics such as age, sex, education, and prevalence of depression. Furthermore, our regression analysis on the scores of knowledge about infant crying and SBS found that the increases in knowledge were more pronounced among males and couples having their first child. Increase in knowledge about infant crying was more pronounced among those who were not depressed, while increase in knowledge about SBS was more pronounced among those who answered "unexpected but happy" for their feelings about pregnancy.Conclusion The educational video on infant crying and shaken baby syndrome was effective in increasing knowledge about infant crying and SBS among couples during pregnancy, regardless of their characteristics.

Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome Among High-Risk Neonates: Program Implementation and Evaluation

Background: Studies suggest that the implementation of high-quality education and support services for caregivers may reduce the incidence of unplanned harm to infants and young children under high-stress circumstances. Purpose: This pilot study evaluates the usefulness of the Period of PURPLE Crying program in a high-acuity NICU at The University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital based on six measurable objectives. Methods: The pilot study utilized a Likert-style pretest-posttest survey design to evaluate how NICU nurses perceived the Period of PURPLE Crying program. Nurses were educated on the program content during an in-service to teach participants how to utilize the Period of PURPLE Crying program materials to support and educate families about Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS). Results: The intervention effectively increased nursing confidence in delivering the SBS and Abusive Head Trauma (AHT) education and increased accessibility to available resources pertaining to SBS and AHT. Questions pertaining specifically to the Period of PURPLE Crying presented exclusively on the post-test were met with an overwhelmingly positive response, with the majority (n=33, 97%) of respondents agreeing that the intervention was useful in standardizing SBS education, providing meaningful, effective information on this topic area, and delivering SBS and AHT information promptly.

Effectiveness of an educational video on infant crying for prevention of shaken baby syndrome among Japanese caregivers of infants

Objectives Spreading awareness of shaken baby syndrome is considered to be essential in the prevention of infant deaths resulting from abuse. This study aimed to determine whether an educational video on infant crying, developed by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, was effective at increasing knowledge of infant crying and shaking among Japanese caregivers of infants aged under 1 year.Methods We targeted caregivers who had infants aged under 1 year for intervention through health checkups and home visits in 29 municipalities across Japan from April 2013 to March 2014. The educational video on infant crying and danger of shaking and smothering was used as intervention. A questionnaire was administered to caregivers to assess their knowledge on infant crying and shaking prior to and after the intervention (N=1,444, response rate 93.8%). A sample of 1,232 caregivers was used for analysis, after excluding those who did not report the outcome of interest (i.e., knowledge on shaking or smothering) and demographics. In the analysis, pre- and post-test mean scores on crying knowledge scales and shaking knowledge scales (out of 100) were compared separately. Subgroup analysis and regression analysis were also conducted to examine whether the effect of the intervention varied by infant age, birth order, parent's sex, age, education, marital status, household income, grandparents' co-residence, postpartum depression, domestic violence during pregnancy, feelings about pregnancy, and resident area (urban/rural).Results Scores on infant crying significantly increased by 12.4 points (95% confidence interval: 11.7-13.2), and those on shaking knowledge increased by 4.7 points (95% confidence interval: 3.9-5.6) after the caregivers had watched the educational video. Subgroup analysis confirmed that the effect of the intervention did not differ among the subgroups except shaking knowledge scores among those who were not married and those who experienced physical violence from their partner. A regression analysis on change in scores revealed that parents with higher education gained more knowledge on infant crying, and fathers and those not living with grandparents gained more knowledge on shaking than mothers.Conclusion The educational video on infant crying was effective in increasing knowledge of infant crying and shaking, regardless of demographics of infants and parents and postnatal situation.

Shaken Baby Syndrome: A hospital-based education and prevention program in the intermediate care and the newborn intensive care nurseries

ObjectivesTo educate parents of hospitalized infants on the prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) and to measure their comprehension. MethodsThis study was an educational prevention program on SBS. Parents whose infants were hospitalized participated in the study. Staff nurses educated parents using a script, a video on SBS, written information and roll played with an infant doll. Parents voluntarily sign a commitment statement and are called back at 7 months with a telephone survey. ResultsThere were 802 parents who participated with a 20% participation in the telephone follow-up phone call. The large majority of parents remembered the nurse, video, SBS interactive doll and information received. Although there were 39 incidents of SBS in NM during the study, no infant was discharged from one of the participating units (p < 0.05). ConclusionsEducation of parents of prevention of SBS significantly reduces child abuse, even in high risk infants.

Awareness and Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome

Awareness and Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome

Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Programme: A Pilot Study in Turkey

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the training materials of a shaken baby syndrome (SBS) prevention programme produced in Western Sydney, Australia, when used with parents in Turkey, and to evaluate the best timing for this training. In this intervention study, a total of 545 mothers, 39.8 per cent of whom were in the first 48 hours after birth (group 1), 43.1 per cent three to seven days after birth (group 2) and 17.1 per cent pregnant (group 3), were tested before and after watching the educational film, for evaluation of their perception, and knowledge of and attitudes towards SBS. The total points measuring the levels of knowledge of shaking hazards changed from an average of 5.0 ± 2.2 pre‐intervention to 6.4 ± 1.7 post‐intervention (p = 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in the pre‐test score, whereas in the post‐test score group one was significantly lower than the other groups (p = 0.001). In conclusion, training using the SBS Prevention Program was useful for mothers; their level of knowledge about the dangers of shaking increased. Education given prior to the birth and three to seven days after the birth was found to be more useful than during the immediate postnatal period. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.KEY PRACTITIONER MESSAGES Training in the SBS Prevention Program was useful for mothers. Their level of knowledge about the dangers of shaking increased. Education given before birth and in the postnatal three to seven days was found to be more useful compared to that given in the immediate postnatal period.

Long-term outcomes of the shaken baby syndrome prevention program: Turkey's experience.

Shaken baby syndrome (SBS) is a condition which may cause to serious health problems in the baby. SBS may be prevented by increasing awareness with giving education to parents especially in the early postnatal period. In shaken baby prevention programs, education is recommended to be given before the 2-4(th) month during which the frequency of crying is increased. It is important that education given in the early period is permanent until the period during which the frequency of crying is increased. The aim of this study was to evaluate the persistency of the benefit of the SBS prevention program until the 2-4(th) month during which crying is intensified. This study is an interventional study. When the babies became 2-4 months old, a questionnaire which questioned the usefulness of education and the experiences with babies was applied to a group selected randomly among the mothers who received SBS prevention education during pregnancy or in the first 7 postnatal days (group A). The same questionnaire was applied to 143 mothers whose babies completed their first 2 months, who presented to the hospital for vaccination and who did not receive education about SBS as the control group (group B). The data were evaluated using the Statistical Program for Social Sciences (SPSS) 15.0 statistical analysis package program. Ethical approval was obtained from the local ethics committee (30.12.2009, 2785). The rate of the mothers who stated "yes" to the sentence "babies occasionally cry" which was one of the main messages of the education was statistically significantly higher in group A compared to group B (p=0.001). The rate of the mothers who stated "I agree" to the sentence "battering is harmful for babies" was statistically significantly higher in group A compared to group B (p=0.001). Conclusively, it was found that SBS prevention program education was permanent until the 2-4(th) month.

International collaboration on prevention of shaken baby syndrome – an ongoing project/intervention

Caring for young infants can be stressful. Non-accidental brain or head injury (shaken baby syndrome) is a result of parental stress, and a lack of knowledge of how to respond to a crying infant and the dangers of shaking a child. This article demonstrates the value of international collaboration in projects to prevent child maltreatment. It includes reports of prevention of shaken baby syndrome programmes in Australia, Hungary, Greece, Brazil and Turkey.

Shaken Baby Syndrome and a Triple-Dose Strategy for Its Prevention

Inflicted traumatic brain injury associated with Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is a leading cause of injury mortality and morbidity in infants. A triple-dose SBS prevention program was implemented with the aim to reduce the incidence of SBS. The objectives of this study were to describe the epidemiology of SBS, the triple-dose prevention program, and its evaluation. Descriptive and spatial epidemiologic profiles of SBS cases treated at Children's Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre, from 1991 to 2010 were created. Dose 1 (in-hospital education): pre-post impact evaluation of registered nurse training, with a questionnaire developed to assess parents' satisfaction with the program. Dose 2 (public health home visits): process evaluation of additional education given to new parents. Dose 3 (media campaign): a questionnaire developed to rate the importance of factors on a 7-point Likert scale. These factors were used to create weights for statistical modeling and mapping within a geographic information system to target prevention ads. Forty-three percent of severe infant injuries were intentional. A total of 54 SBS cases were identified. The mean age was 6.7 months (standard deviation, 10.9 months), with 61% of infant males. The mean Injury Severity Score was 26.3 (standard deviation, 5.5) with a 19% mortality rate. Registered nurses learned new information on crying patterns and SBS, with a 47% increase in knowledge posttraining (p < 0.001). Over 10,000 parents were educated in-hospital, a 93% education compliance rate. Nearly all parents (93%) rated the program as useful, citing "what to do when the crying becomes frustrating" as the most important message. Only 6% of families needed to be educated during home visits. Locations of families with a new baby, high population density, and percentage of lone parents were found to be the most important factors for selecting media sites. The spatial analysis revealed six areas needed to be targeted for ad locations. SBS is a devastating intentional injury that often results in poor outcomes for the child. Implementing a triple-dose prevention program that provides education on crying patterns, coping strategies, and the dangers of shaking is key to SBS prevention. The program increased knowledge. Parents rated the program as useful. The media campaign allowed us to extend the primary prevention beyond new parents to help create a cultural change in the way crying, the primary trigger for SBS, is viewed. Targeting our intervention increased the likelihood that our message was reaching the population in greatest need.

Preventing child injuries in New York state

Injuries are the leading cause of death for children in New York State (NYS) United States. Annually in NYS between 2005 and 2007, an average of 633 children aged 0–19...

Revisiting the measurement of Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness

In the last 10 years, over 80% of adults surveyed report some familiarity with Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) and the dangers of shaking infants younger than 2 years of age ( Dias et al., 2005; Russell & Britner, 2006). Hence, in the context of SBS prevention, the question of whether caregivers knew the safety risks of shaking an infant becomes less meaningful than questioning whether caregivers have an awareness of alternate responses they could use to respond safely to the relatively normative occurrence of inconsolable crying ( Barr, Trent, & Cross, 2006). Objective The present work is a continuation of efforts to prevent abusive head injury during infancy particular to SBS by raising awareness and provides prevention professionals with a reliable and shorter, single-page version of the Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Assessment ( Russell & Britner, 2006). Methods A sample of 370 adults completed the short version of the measure during 2008. Results Psychometric results, including Cronbach's alphas and Pearson's correlations, are all significant and meet acceptability standards. Conclusion These results indicate the short version of the measure is ready for use in the prevention field. Practice implications The Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Assessment – short version is best used to support child abuse prevention professionals in engaging caregivers in a conversation about responding to a crying infant safely. By talking about the responses a caregiver might be willing to use in the high-stress context of an infant's inconsolable crying bout, intervention efforts can be tailored to maximize on caregiver strengths and achieve a high degree of goodness of fit with the values held in the care environment. Increasing the goodness of fit between caregivers’ values and the steps recommended through an intervention program supports the likelihood that the behavior described in the program's service plan will be used.

Designing and Testing a Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Program—The Period of PURPLE Crying: Keeping Babies Safe in North Carolina

Each year infants die or are permanently disabled at the hands of their caregivers by abusive head trauma, more commonly known as Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS). Current medical research confirms the central role of infant crying in triggering shaking by caregivers; anecdotally, inconsolable crying is the most common explanation given by abusers. Although SBS prevention efforts have been initiated, most remain unevaluated. This article provides an overview of a 5-year, evidence-based SBS-prevention program called The Period of PURPLE Crying: Keeping Babies Safe in North Carolina from a social marketing perspective. The project includes three components: (1) in-hospital education for parents of every newborn at all 86 hospitals/birthing centers in North Carolina; (2) reinforcement in community settings such as prenatal visits to health departments or well-child care visits to primary care providers; and (3) a media campaign.

Child Abuse Prevention During Infancy: Intervention Implications for Caregivers' Attitudes Toward Emotion Regulation

Increasing numbers of states are in the process of passing laws requiring all new parents to receive educational materials to prevent shaken baby syndrome (SBS). These laws create powerful opportunities to reach large numbers of families with an important prevention effort. Results from the effort to raise SBS awareness described here indicate that not only is the content of SBS prevention (e.g., consequences of shaking; emotion regulation/coping skills; safety planning) an important consideration; so too is the approach any given prevention program utilizes. By incorporating social work theory on family-centered practice, social workers, home visitors, and other prevention professionals strengthen the likelihood of having a meaningful impact on caregivers' safe strategies for coping with the frustrations of caring for an infant.

Secondary analysis of the “Love Me…Never Shake Me” SBS education program

Objective Shaken baby syndrome (SBS) is preventable; however, an estimated 21–74 per 100,000 children worldwide are victims annually. This study examined the effectiveness of an SBS prevention program in the US. Methods A descriptive, secondary analysis of the Prevent Child Abuse Ohio (PCAO) “Love Me…Never Shake Me” SBS education program database included 7,051 women who completed a commitment statement, pre and post-test, and follow-up survey. Results Participants were mostly White (76%), had at least some college education (62%), were privately insured (62%), and lived with the father and infant (63%). Mothers knew of the dangers of shaking (96%) and recommended SBS education for all parents (98%) because they found it helpful (97%). Scores on the pre and post-tests were significantly different, but there was no difference based on education site or demographics. There was a significant increase in a pre/post-test item pertaining to infant crying. At follow-up, participants remembered postpartum SBS education (98%), but post-discharge did not receive SBS education from their primary care provider (62%). Most mothers practiced infant soothing techniques (79%) provided in the education; however, few women practiced self-coping techniques (36%) and accessed community support services (9%). Conclusions Postpartum SBS prevention education should continue. Development of SBS programs should result from these study findings focusing on education content and program evaluation. Practice implications Mothers report that shaken baby syndrome education is important for all parents and memorable at follow-up. Postpartum SBS education should continue because the hospital is the primary place they receive education. Mothers’ report they less frequently receive education from healthcare sources post-discharge. Diligence of primary care providers to incorporate SBS prevention education in well child visits will increase parental exposure to this information. Education may need to place greater emphasis on infant crying and soothing, as well as parent support and self-coping techniques versus the dangers of shaking.

Shaken Baby Syndrome Education: A Role for Nurse Practitioners Working With Families of Small Children

Nurse practitioners providing primary care to infants and children are in the optimal position to address the risk factors and long-term consequences of shaken baby syndrome (SBS), a severe form of child abuse, with parents before the child is discharged from the nursery or when they come for well-child visits. The purpose of this article is to provide a summary of research to date on SBS, state and federal efforts aimed at educating citizens about SBS, and the role of nurse practitioners in educating the persons who are caring for these vulnerable individuals regarding the prevention of SBS.