Shaking a baby to quiet him or her is dangerous. You should never shake a baby. Many young children suffer serious injury or die due to violent shaking each year. It can happen so quickly. A baby cries, and the caregiver becomes
frustrated and angry. In a blink of an eye, the child is shaken and the damage is done.
Shaking causes damage to a baby because they have weak neck muscles that must support their heavy heads and still developing brain. The outer layer of the brain has not developed its protective outer layer, which causes injuries. The space between the brain and skull is also larger, so the brain can travel farther, gaining more speed before it impacts with the skull.
Even a few seconds of shaking can cause serious damage to infants and young children up to age three.

Please Don’t Shake Them You Might Break Them

Knowing what to do to prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome before it happens is so important. You may not think that shaking a baby in anger or frustration can change or even end a child’s life, but
it can. Here are a few tips to help you prevent the abuse caused by shaking a baby:

• Never shake a baby or young child.
• Support the baby’s head when you are playing with or carrying him or her.
• Don’t bounce a baby on your knee or swing him or her on your foot.
.
. • Make sure that anyone who is caring for your baby knows how to hold and handle the
child. Tell them to “never shake the baby”.
• Don’t spin a young child around.
• Show a child love and concern by holding arid cuddling him or her.
• Know what to do if a baby in your care won’t stop crying.

Calming a crying Baby

When a baby in your care won ‘t stop crying, try these tips:
• Check to see if the baby needs to be fed, changed or made comfortable.
• Make sure that the baby is not ill. Check for fever or swollen gums. If these signs are present, call your doctor or give proper care based on the symptoms.
• Gently rock or walk with the baby.
• Take the baby for a ride in the stroller, or in a car seat in the car.
• Put the baby in a wind-up swing.
• Put the baby in a snugly, soft, warm blanket.
• Check to make sure that the clothing is not too tight or that the fingers or toes are not bent.
• Turn up the music on the stereo, run the vacuum, turn on the dryer, or let the water run in the tub for a few minutes.
• Talk or sing quietly to the baby.
• Offer the baby a noisy toy. Shake or rattle the toy.
• Lay the baby tummy down across your lap and gently rub or pat his or her back.
• Call a friend or a relative you trust to take over, while you take a time-out.
• If nothing else works, put the baby in his or her bed, close the door and turn up the television or the radio. Check on the baby every 15 minutes. The baby may just go to sleep.
• “Never Ever Shake A Baby.”

Never Shake A Baby
Campaign and
Children’s Trust Fund
The Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) “Never Shake A Baby Campaign” is designed to make parents, families, caregivers and communities aware of the dangers of shaking a baby.
Since it was created in 1983, the Children’s Trust Fund has generated more than $24 million for the prevention of child abuse and neglect around the state. Through the work of its 50 direct service programs and 69 local councils across Michigan, Children’s Trust Fund has provided badly needed services to more than 2.5 million children and 500,000 families.

Children’s Trust Fund is working in your community thanks to the generous donations of people just like you. If you would like to help bring more prevention programs to your community, you can make a donation to CTF in three ways:

The Michigan State Income Tax Form check-off

Direct donations to Children’s Trust fund can be mailed to:
CTF, P0. Box 30037
Lansing, Michigan 48909

By participating in the fundraising and volunteer efforts of your local council

For more in formation on CTF call:
(517) 373-4320