Shaking syndrome in children: What to know

The article was consulted professionally Master, Dr Phan Ngoc Hai – Department of Pediatrics – Newborn – Share99 Da Nang International Health Hub. Dr. Hai has worked at the Department of Pediatrics and Pediatrics at Da Nang Obstetrics and Gynecology Health Hub and Hoan My Danang Health Hub. His strengths are general pediatric examination and treatment, newborn examination and treatment, pediatric resuscitation.

Shaking syndrome in children causes many serious injuries, seriously affecting the health and future of the child. Understanding vibration syndrome will help parents take effective precautions, reducing the risk of the syndrome happening to their child.

1. What is vibration syndrome in children?

Shaking syndrome usually appears in children under two years of age, concentrated at the age of birth to 8 months. When shaking syndrome appears at an infant age is called newborn shaking syndrome.

At this age, the young head mass accounts for a large proportion, about 1⁄4 of the body weight, the weak neck muscles have not retained the weight of the head. The child's brain is yet to develop, the skull bone is soft, the meninges are thin, there is a gap between the brain and the skull bone, so when the child is shaken, especially when juggling, spinning strongly, the brain mass will move in an inerction and hit the skull bone causing severe brain damage. This impact force will suddenly increase if the child's head is hit on a hard surface.

Shaking syndrome in children is compared similarly to adults who have had traumatic brain injury accidents caused by car accidents.

Just shaking for 5 seconds the child can already be in danger. Shaking the child will have the following serious consequences:

  • Hematoma under the sural membrane
  • Spider-under-spider hematoma
  • Direct injury to the surface of the brain as the brain pedals into the face in the skull
  • Causes fractures, tearing of nerve cell branches in the cortex and deep structure of the brain
  • If the child stops breathing when shaken, it will cause itopic brain damage when the brain is deprived of oxygen
  • Fracture of the skull bone if there is a collision of the child's head on hard surfaces
  • Retinal bleeding
  • Fracture of bones such as collarbone, ribs, quadriplegic bones

Shaking syndrome in children occurs due to the inadvertent and ignorance habits of adults when they afternoon with actions such as juggling, carrying them up high to play aircraft games; when shaking hammocks/ cradles too strong to tempt children to sleep.

In addition, sometimes due to too much stress, fatigue because the child is constantly crying, the parent or babysitter shakes the child as a form of relief. This is considered a form of violence that seriously affects the health and future of the child.

Children

Shaking syndrome in children occurs due to the inadvertent and ignorance habits of adults when they are young with actions such as juggling, carrying them up high to play aircraft games

2. How dangerous is shaking syndrome in a child?

Depending on the condition of the injury, it will affect the child to varying degrees, but most of them are very heavy. If severe the child may die as a result of a brain haemorrhage, increased second-hand pressure after cerebral edema or tearing of brain tissue. Neurological conditions caused by shaking syndrome can be encountered such as cerebral palsy,paralysis, retinal hemorrhage, vision loss, blindness, deafness, seizures, seizures, etc. ..

Even minor injuries can cause children to slow down mental development, reduce their ability to learn, not speak fluently, including some lesions that are only detected when the child has grown up, requiring intensive, long-term treatment.

3. Symptoms of shaking syndrome in a child

Vibration syndrome in children has very diverse manifestations, which are often difficult to detect and easily confused with other conditions. The following symptoms of the child may appear immediately after shaking and reach a peak level after 4 to 6 hours:

  • Children are lethargic, struggling, breaking, fussing, phlegmatic, neglectful, sleeping
  • Children with irritation, loss of appetite, nausea
  • Coma, convulsions, dilated butt and not responding to light
  • Shallow breathing, abnormally slow, irregular
  • The child is located in the back head position, the back is curved arc-shaped
  • Cardiac arrest, death

Physical symptoms of shaking syndrome include:

  • Skin tears, bumps, injuries
  • Bulging, chest, abdominal, facial, scalp, arm, abdominal or back injuries
  • Abnormally low blood pressure, edema software points to skull fractures
  • Retinal bleeding, closed brain haemorrhage

4. Prevention of shaking syndrome in children

Children

To avoid shaking syndrome, parents must be very careful, always keep in mind that never shake, stuff, toss high or throw children

When the child has the above symptoms, parents must quickly call an ambulance to take the child to the hospital, do not carry the child, do not try to shake to wake the child up. If the child stops breathing, do artificial respiration for the child. If the child has a neck injury, try to avoid turning and fix the neck for the child. If the child vomits and there is no neck injury, turn the child's head to one side so that he avoids choking when vomiting and avoids stopping breathing.

Shaking syndrome in a child is completely preventable. To avoid shaking syndrome,parents must be very careful, always keep in mind that never shake, stuff, toss high or throw children. When carrying should keep the young neck in a fixed position. When the child cries, it is advisable to find the cause, see if the child has hunger, fever, urination or insect bites,… Crying is a normal psychological activity of the child in the first years of life, the child cries to express a certain desire that needs adult support, sometimes the child cries because there are many things around him, too noisy he needs to be quiet or he cries because he is sleepy.

When the child cries, parents and caregivers need to calm down, not get angry, do not beat the child, do not lull the child by shaking the hammock vigorously. After checking all the causes are fine and the child is still crying, it is possible to place the child in a bed/ cod safely so that the child cries alone or call for the help of relatives. Children can be examined by pediatricians if they suspect a condition that causes them to cry.

As a key area of Share99 Health System, Pediatrics always brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts with:

  • Gathering a team of leading doctors in Pediatrics:including leading experts, highly specialized (professors, associate professors, doctors, masters), experienced, used to work at large hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108.. The doctors are well-trained, professional, mind-centered, knowledgeable about the child's psychology. In addition to domestic pediatricians, pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) always pioneering the application of the latest and most effective treatment regimens.
  • Comprehensive services:In the field of Pediatrics, Share99 provides a chain of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatrics and Vaccines,… according to international standards to take care of your baby's health with parents from birth to adulthood
  • Intensive techniques:Share99 has successfully implemented many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery – skull, hematoma stem cell transplantation in cancer treatment.
  • Professional care:In addition to understanding the young psychology, Share99 also pay special attention to the children's play space, help them play comfortably and get acquainted with the hospital environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical examination and treatment.

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SEE MORE:

  • Don't shake – Your child can be very dangerous!
  • Consequences of shaking syndrome in children
  • How dangerous is diabetic retinopathy?

About: John Smith

b1ffdb54307529964874ff53a5c5de33?s=90&r=gI am the author of Share99.net. I had been working in Vinmec International General Hospital for over 10 years. I dedicate my passion on every post in this site.

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