Symptoms of Shaken Baby Syndrome

Every week we read or hear about another child injured or who died due to violent shaking or resulting impact. Shaken Baby Impact Syndrome (SBIS) is the medical term used to describe the violent shaking and the possible impact during the incident, and, the results sustained from it. This form of child abuse can result in serious brain injury, seizures, mental retardation, paralysis, blindness, broken bones, learning difficulties, delayed development, and more. One shaken baby in four dies.

One of our main goals is to educate early in life to prevent, and reduce, the number of victims of Shaken Baby Impact Syndrome through prevention and education efforts. The Epilepsy Association of Central Florida has specifically designed a video and teaching curriculum that can be used by teachers, health educators, childcare advocates, and the community at large.

Here are a few symptoms of Shaken Baby Syndrome that have already been discovered:
- Head turned to one side.
- Unable to lift or turn head.
- Pinpointed, dilated, or unequal size pupils.
- Blood pooling in the eyes.
- Pupils unresponsive to light.
- Bulging or spongy forehead.
- No smiling or vocalization.
- Poor sucking or swallowing.
- Rigidity.
- Semi-consciousness, lethargy, or decreased muscle tone.
- Difficulty breathing.
- Seizures or spasms. Swollen head, which may appear later.

Warning Signs of Injury of Shaken Baby Syndrome
- Poor Feeding / Eating
- Cardiopulmonary arrest.
- Vomiting.
- Failure to thrive
- Pale or blush skin.
- Irritability
- Seizures
- Lethargic
- Coma

email: education@epilepsyassociation.org.
The Epilepsy Association of Central Florida