Pediatria pre prax 3/2012

Shaken baby syndrome and its surgical aspects

Shaken baby syndrome (SBS) was described by Caffey in the 1970s. It is caused when an infant, held firmly by the trunk or arms, is aggressively shaken, with the head being moved from abrupt flexion to violent hyperextension. The syndrome is characterized by a triad of CN S injury (subdural or subarachnoid hemorrhage, acute encephalopathy, edema or diffuse axonal injury and retinal hemorrhage). Serial costal or humeral fractures can frequently be found in the skeleton. Diagnosing SBS may often be problematic due to the possibility of false negative but also, though rarely, false positive diagnosis and remains widely discussed in the literature. The authors describe one case in detail.

Keywords: child abuse and neglect (CAN), shaken baby syndrome (SBS), retinal hemorrhage, subdural hemorrhage.