If the baby cries, parents sometimes panic and rock him too hard while rocking to calm him down. Careful! Rocking the baby too hard can be dangerous and result in shaken baby syndrome.
Shaken baby syndrome This is a collection of symptoms that occur when a baby is shaken too hard on the head. This syndrome consists of retinal haemorrhage, cerebral haemorrhage, and brain swelling.
Shaken baby syndrome it might happen accidentally. However, the impact can be very fatal for the baby. Therefore, it is important for Mother, Father, family, or Little One's caregiver to have knowledge about this condition in order to anticipate it.
How Shaken Baby Syndrome Occur?
Babies have soft brains, thin blood vessels, and weak neck muscles.
When you get a strong shock, for example from being rocked hard when calmed or thrown into the air when invited to play, the baby's neck can't support his head well, so his head can be jerked back and forth quickly.
This can cause the baby's brain to shake inside the cranium. The brain can also shift and experience nerve tears. In addition, blood vessels in and around the brain, including in the eyes, can also tear and bleed.
Symptoms that may arise in infants with shaken baby syndrome are coma or unconsciousness, shock, seizures, and immobility or paralysis. If the brain injury is less severe, symptoms may include:
- Fussy
- Look weak and sleepy all the time
- Trouble breathing
- Throw up
- Pale or bluish skin
- No appetite
- Tremor
Immediately take the baby to the emergency room or the nearest doctor for help if he experiences the above symptoms. This condition should not be underestimated, because if the brain injury that occurs is quite severe, it can be fatal.
Babies may also experience permanent brain damage with long-term effects, ranging from visual and hearing impairments, delays in growth and development, to learning difficulties.
Tips for Calming Baby Safely
The following are tips that parents or caregivers can do to avoid risk shaken baby syndrome when trying to calm a crying baby:
- Hold the baby lovingly, while gently stroking his back.
- Swaddle the baby if he is not yet 2 months old, so that he feels more comfortable. However, make sure not to swaddle the baby too tightly.
- Sing a song for him.
- Turn on a soothing sound, such as a recorded heartbeat.
- Give me a pacifier.
- Do method skin to skin.
While calming your little one, make sure you stay calm. Don't let your little one's constant cries make Mother panic and stress until she shakes her body. Remember, he could be in phase purple crying and shaking was not the solution at all to calm him down.
If needed, ask your family for help to calm your little one's cries while you calm yourself down. However, if the baby is still crying loudly, you should take him to the doctor for proper examination and treatment if necessary.
