Age-Related Incidence Curve of Hospitalized Shaken Baby Syndrome Cases: Convergent Evidence for Crying as a Trigger to Shaking

• NCJ Number: 213302
• Journal: Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 30 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2006 Pages: 7-16
• Author(s): Ronald G. Barr; Roger B. Trent; Julie Cross
• Date Published: January 2006
• Length: 10 pages
• Grant Number(s): R49/CCR919796
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health & Human Services
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study investigated whether there is an age-specific incidence of hospitalized cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) that coincides with the previously reported “normal crying curve.”

Abstract

Results indicated that in California hospitals between October 1996 and December 2000, there were 273 hospitalizations for SBS. The curve of SBS hospitalizations followed the normal crying curve in that the age-specific incidence of SBS began at 2 to 3 weeks of age and declined to baseline by around 36 weeks of age. However, in contrast to the normal crying curve, which peaks at 5 to 6 weeks of age, the SBS hospitalizations peaked at 10 to 13 weeks. The main conclusion is that the incidence curve of hospitalizations for SBS follows a normal crying curve but peaks about 4 to 6 weeks after the peak of the normal crying curve. Prevention and intervention programming should focus on crying as a stimulus for SBS. Data were drawn from California hospital discharge records between October 1996 and December 2000. The analysis focused on identifying the day of age and the cause of injury to children less than 18 months of age. Future research should focus on whether crying may have a wider significance as a stimulus for other forms of abuse. Figures, references