Nursing/Medical Division - Shaken Baby Syndrome
Claire’s Law – Shaken Baby Syndrome
SBS is a range of brain injuries that occurs when an infant or young child is violently shaken. SBS happens most often when an adult becomes frustrated with caring for a crying baby. When a baby or young child is shaken, the neck muscles are too weak to support the head and the brain moves within the skull resulting in bruising, swelling and bleeding from ruptured blood vessels. SBS causes damage that can lead to:
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Blindness |
Cerebral palsy |
Behavior problems |
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Deafness |
Mental retardation |
Poor coordination |
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Epilepsy (seizures) |
Learning problems |
Death |
SBS deaths and injuries can be prevented by helping adults understand normal crying, practice methods to soothe crying babies and learn how to safely relieve the stress of caring for young children.
Claire’s Law (Ohio Revised Code 3701.63) was signed into Ohio law by Gov. Strickland Nov. 30, 2007. The law says materials must be distributed to expectant and new parents via hospitals, physicians’ offices, child birth educators and Help Me Grow programs; and to all staff in licensed child care centers, type A homes and certified type B family child care homes.
Tips on preventing Shaken Baby Syndrome can be found at:
Information from the Ohio Department of Health and the National MCH Center for Child Death Review.
