Shaken baby syndrome: an awareness campaign is launched

It is the most serious form of head trauma in children, according to Santé Publique France, which specifies that the victims are mostly between 2 and 4 months old, and that this violence is not always isolated.

75% of babies who survive will have serious sequelae: developmental delay, epileptic seizures and cognitive disorders. In France, 1 baby out of 10, victim of shaking, dies.

Serious neurological sequelae, up to death

The maternity ward of the Jeanne d'Arc Clinic allows 1,100 mothers to give birth to their babies each year and Imad Alshigri is one of the pediatricians who accompanies them. He explains that the lesions are related to the physiology of the infant.

The baby's head is much bigger than its body, its brain has not finished developing and the musculature of its neck is very fragile. The lesions can be cerebral, but also affect the spinal cord. Death can be immediate.

To alert the reality of this phenomenon, a national awareness campaign has been launched by the government.

Maternities educate new parents

At the maternity ward of the Jeanne d'Arc clinic in Le Port, this is one of the subjects that is systematically discussed with parents by midwives and pediatricians, in the same way as sudden infant death syndrome.

In the booklet that is given to families at the exit, many tips are also given on the subject: where to ask for help, how to react when you feel overwhelmed by the situation?

Patricia Payet, midwife for almost 40 years and part of the clinic's maternity unit, specifies that it is also mentioned in the child's health records. "Moms don't always know what it's all about," she explains.

A wider awareness campaign welcome

The professional considers that there is not enough information and that we should talk about it a little more in learning about parenthood. She is pleased that this campaign has been launched.

Mélodie, a young mother who gave birth to little Johana on Monday, her first child, talks about a stressful situation when a baby cries nonstop.

Watch the report from Réunion la 1ère:

How to interpret infant crying? How to react when you have just become a parent? These subjects are discussed by the medical teams at the Jeanne D'Arc clinic in Le Port. Report