Health News
Your newborn won?t stop crying. What is your plan?
That?s the conversation many nurses at Sinai Hospital are increasingly having with post-partum mothers, and their partners, before the baby goes home. The goal is to reduce the incidence of Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is believed to be the most common form of child abuse. April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and presents a chance to increase education on preventing SBS.
SBS occurs when a baby is violently shaken, resulting in head trauma. Symptoms can include lethargy, decreased muscle tone, extreme irritability, decreased appetite, no smiling, difficulty breathing or seizures.
?It?s totally preventable,? says nurse Lauren Underwood, R.N., who divides her time between Labor and Delivery, Neonatal Intensive Care, and the Pediatric Intensive Care at Sinai Hospital. She has been an advocate of talking more with parents about not shaking their baby, a topic that?s gained traction. The 15 states that have instituted mandatory education on Shaken Baby Syndrome have seen a dramatic reduction in incidence rates of SBS, she says.
?There?s enthusiasm growing among the Sinai staff for educating parents on Shaken Baby Syndrome,? she says.
Part of this stems from the extreme consequences of SBS. According to the National Institute for Neurological Damage and Stroke, ?the majority of infants who survive severe shaking will have some form of neurological or mental disability, such as cerebral palsy or mental retardation, which may not be fully apparent before 6 years of age.? Shaking also can cause blindness.
Parents do not always realize the consequences of shaking, Lauren says.
?Often the parent says something like ?I didn?t shake him that hard,?? she says. ?This is something that can affect all families.?
?All parents go through a time when they are frustrated and the baby won?t stop crying,? Lauren says. ?We ask parents to watch a movie on Shaken Baby Syndrome and to answer the question ?what do you do when you?re at wit?s end???
Answers can be to call someone for help, to put the baby in a safe place like a crib and walk away, or to take a walk.
?You check to see if the baby is hungry, sick, tired or wet,? Lauren says. ?But sometimes babies just need to cry.?
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Health News
Sinai Works with Parents to Prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome
Your newborn won?t stop crying. What is your plan?
That?s the conversation many nurses at Sinai Hospital are increasingly having with post-partum mothers, and their partners, before the baby goes home. The goal is to reduce the incidence of Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is believed to be the most common form of child abuse. April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and presents a chance to increase education on preventing SBS.
SBS occurs when a baby is violently shaken, resulting in head trauma. Symptoms can include lethargy, decreased muscle tone, extreme irritability, decreased appetite, no smiling, difficulty breathing or seizures.
?It?s totally preventable,? says nurse Lauren Underwood, R.N., who divides her time between Labor and Delivery, Neonatal Intensive Care, and the Pediatric Intensive Care at Sinai Hospital. She has been an advocate of talking more with parents about not shaking their baby, a topic that?s gained traction. The 15 states that have instituted mandatory education on Shaken Baby Syndrome have seen a dramatic reduction in incidence rates of SBS, she says.
?There?s enthusiasm growing among the Sinai staff for educating parents on Shaken Baby Syndrome,? she says.
Part of this stems from the extreme consequences of SBS. According to the National Institute for Neurological Damage and Stroke, ?the majority of infants who survive severe shaking will have some form of neurological or mental disability, such as cerebral palsy or mental retardation, which may not be fully apparent before 6 years of age.? Shaking also can cause blindness.
Parents do not always realize the consequences of shaking, Lauren says.
?Often the parent says something like ?I didn?t shake him that hard,?? she says. ?This is something that can affect all families.?
?All parents go through a time when they are frustrated and the baby won?t stop crying,? Lauren says. ?We ask parents to watch a movie on Shaken Baby Syndrome and to answer the question ?what do you do when you?re at wit?s end???
Answers can be to call someone for help, to put the baby in a safe place like a crib and walk away, or to take a walk.
?You check to see if the baby is hungry, sick, tired or wet,? Lauren says. ?But sometimes babies just need to cry.?
- Expectant Mothers Need To Get A Flu Shot
Expectant mothers need to get a flu shot as soon as it is available in their area, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only the flu shot, not the nasal-spray vaccine, is recommended for pregnant women because it is made with the inactivated...
- Winter Can Be Risky Time For Infants If 'safe Sleep Practices' Are Not Followed, Health Department Says; Here Are Several Safety Tips
Practicing "safe sleep practices" and creating a safe environment for your baby could mean the difference between life and death during these cold winter months, the state Department for Public Health says in a press release. "Kentucky?s infant mortality...
- What It's Like To Take Childbirth Classes At Sinai
Ed. Note: We asked one of the Birthplace at Sinai's mothers-to-be to discuss what it's like to take childbirth classes. She'll be blogging periodically on her experiences as a new mother. I?m expecting a baby, but I don?t know what to expect....
- Postpartum Depression Outreach Program Touches Lives Of New Mothers
Sleep deprivation, fluctuating hormones, high stress and limited mobility all can tax the emotional and mental health of any new mother. Mixed together, these ingredients can be a formula for depression despite the excitement of a newborn baby. According...
- Lifebridge Doctor Acts Quickly; Saves Life
by Betsy Haley Dr. Michael Zollicoffer, M.D., (or as he refers to himself, Dr. Z) practices old fashioned medicine and teaches the parents of his pediatric patients about using their instinct and creating balance. ?Intuitiveness and instinct are two keys...