Shaken Baby Syndrome: Treatment, Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

Shaken Baby Syndrome is also known as Abusive Head Trauma.

Shaken baby syndrome occurs when a toddler is violently shaken up, either due to the anger or frustration of the caregiver or parents, or any other apparent reason. When adults shake the baby up when it won’t stop crying, it sometimes leads to a permanent brain injury and even death. This type of vigorous shaking can cause permanent damages and destroy the child’s brain cells by preventing them to get sufficient oxygen. In some instances the damage can be treated by the help of moderate methods such as administering CPR, while if the damage is intense and the infant stops breathing, surgery becomes necessary.

Often it happens that some babies stop breathing after being shaken vigorously. In such instances CPR should be administered as quickly as possible. Carefully put the baby on their back and once you have set the particular position, start performing chest compressions. Deliver the cycle of rescue breaths and chest compressions until medical help arrives or till the baby starts breathing. Since there are no such medications for shaken baby syndrome, CPR and careful care to avoid any additional injury are the best options. If the injury is severe, then surgery takes place to treat the bleeding in the brain. This can involve placing a shunt or a thin tube to relieve pressure or to drain the extra fluid and blood. At times it becomes essential to administer eye surgery as well to prevent any permanent damage to the vision.

Since the most common victims of the shaken baby syndrome are toddlers till the age of 5-6 years, their careful monitoring is performed to make sure that they are safe. More than 25% of babies do not survive after the shaken baby syndrome. Since no such medications are there (which might yield allergy reactions), the administration of CPR and surgery for absolutely extreme cases can be performed on every patient.

Treatment can be provided to all. Only severe cases need to go for a surgery.

At times various complications follow due to the brain damage. These can include a loss of vision – partial or total – hearing loss, seizure disorders, development delays, intellectual disabilities and cerebral palsy.

Care needs to be maintained when administering CPR. In some cases, the toddler might vomit once he has been shaken. Absolute care must be maintained to prevent choking by gently rolling the baby on the side. Parents should be careful to roll their entire body at the same time. In case of a spinal cord injury, this method will help reduce the risk of more damage being administered to the spine. In this time, it’s important to note that the baby should not be picked up or given baby food or water.

The death rate in babies who have undergone shaken baby syndrome is quite high. For the ones who recover from the surgery or via the administration of CPR, their brain performance is hampered in majority cases, throughout their lives. The time taken for recovery is not measurable since the long term impacts follow patients to their death beds.

Since no medications are available and the only option remaining is either brain surgery or CPR, the charges vary accordingly. The surgery can be sorted with a maximum of 1,00,000 INR/-

The results are not permanent since the damage incurred is permanent in nature. The effects are visible throughout the course of human life.