Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is a form of Abusive Head Trauma (AHT) that occurs when a person shakes an infant or small child; usually to stop him or her from crying. This action causes Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and is a form of child abuse that causes lifelong disability or death.

The violent shaking causes a baby’s fragile brain to slam against the skull in a rotational motion, causing tears and massive hemorrhaging. In addition, the violent and swift back and forth motion causes tearing of the lining in the back of the eye, resulting in retinal hemorrhage. The weak neck muscles of a baby that can barely hold its neck up is whiplashed to destruction so often times it goes undiagnosed until the onset of the symptoms which usually include seizures, convulsions or death.

Shaken Baby Syndrome is considered a serious crime and a severe form of child abuse, and justice in most of these cases is extremely lacking. Thousands of children each year are victims of this form of child abuse and sadly, 25-35% of SBS victims die, and those that survive are damaged for life to some extent.