The baby may die if shaken

The baby may die if shaken
The baby may die if shaken
Anonim

Strongly shaking a baby can lead to serious – easily even permanent – damage to the nervous system, loss of vision, and even death.

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Unfortunately, the phenomenon is not rare, in the United States they know of 1,300 such cases every year, of which 300 ended in death, reports Gyermekövek. With the help of a new test method that examines the nerve membrane of the eye, it can be determined whether the strong shaking of the baby led to neurological symptoms.

Many people do not know the reason why, while it causes minor damage to older children, it has serious consequences for babies if they are shaken. According to the article in Children's Years, the reasons are to be found in the body structure of babies. Babies' heads are large and heavy compared to their bodies, and the weak neck muscles cannot yet hold them securely. At this age, the brain is still particularly sensitive to mechanical influences, and the blood vessels surrounding the brain are extremely vulnerable.

If the baby is shaken strongly, the brain tissue hits the skull bone as a result of the sudden movement, severe bleeding can occur due to the rupture of the blood vessels around the brain, as a result of which the blood collected in the closed cranial cavity compresses the brain and increases the pressure inside the skull. Hemorrhages occur under the retina of the eye, which in severe cases can even lead to the complete loss of vision. This is also the basis of the new test method mentioned above.

A shaken baby may experience breathing problems, or in more severe cases, respiratory arrest. Common symptoms are agitation, irritability, high-pitched crying, vomiting and confusion. Cardiac arrest and death can also occur. If the baby survives the period after the concussion, central nervous system paralysis, limited movement, vision and hearing problems may also appear as a late consequence.

In terms of prevention, it is important for parents to be able to manage their temper and never shake the baby, even if his crying seems unbearable. If something goes wrong, call the ambulance immediately and report exactly what happened, writes Gyermekévek.

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