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Tori Fahse
Mrs. Dimmet
Child Development
25 November 2014
Infant Safety
When your child finally enters the world, your first concern should be his or her safety
and health. Once a couple is informed that they are expecting a child, they should get started on
the preparation for the child and research what they are to expect. Parents should be educated on
SIDS, Shaken Baby Syndrome, and how to child proof to make their home for a safe
environment, so both the mother and father would know how to prevent any type of injury.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is also referred to as cot death, or crib death.
SIDS is the sudden death of an infant that is not predicted by medical history and remains
unexplained after a thorough forensic autopsy and detailed death scene investigation. This is
found to be the leading cause of death among infants from ages of one month to one year old,
and causes about 2,500 deaths each year in the United States. Most SIDS deaths are associated
with sleep and infants who die of SIDS show no signs of suffering.
Parents can reduce the risk of SIDS by knowing what can cause it to occur. You should
always lay infants younger than one year old on their backs when they sleep. Never place the
child face-down on their stomachs or on their sides. Babies could end up sleeping face down
causing them to suffocate. Other potential risk factors include:

Smoking, drinking, or drug use during pregnancy

Poor prenatal care
Prematurity or low birth weight
Mothers younger than 20

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Tobacco smoke exposure following birth

Overheating from excessive sleep wear and bedding
Stomach sleeping

Your health is just as important as your childs. It can also effect the child in many negative ways
and may lead to death.
Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is also referred to as abusive head trauma, inflicting
traumatic brain injury, and shaken impact syndrome. All of these terms mean an injury to a
childs brain as a result of child abuse. This can be caused by direct blows to the head, dropping
or throwing a child, or shaking a child. In the United States, head trauma is the leading cause of
death in child abuse cases. A majority of those victims are infants younger than one year old.
When a baby is shook, the childs head rotates uncontrollably. Since the child is still
developing, their neck muscles are not strong enough to support their heads. This movement
causes the childs brain to move back and forth within the skull. Sometimes this will rupture
blood vessels and nerves throughout the brain and tear the brain tissue. The brain may also bruise
or bleed due to impact of the brain against the skull.
SBS often causes irreversible damage, and one out of every four cases results in the
childs death. Children that do survive usually have one to three of the following symptoms:

Partial or total blindness

Hearing loss
Seizures
Development delays
Impaired intellect
Speech and learning difficulties
Problems with memory and attention
Severe mental retardation
Cerebral palsy
In most violent cases, children may arrive at the emergency room unconscious, suffering

seizures, or in shock, but many times infants may never be brought to medical attention, because

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they do not show severe symptoms. In less severe cases, a child who has been shaken may
experience:

Lethargy
Irritability
Vomiting
Poor sucking or swallowing
Decreased appetite
Lack of smiling or vocalizing
Rigidity
Seizures
Difficulty breathing
Blue color due to lack of oxygen
Altered consciousness
Unequal pupil size
An inability to life the head
An inability to focus the eyes or track movement

SBS is 100% preventable! A key aspect of prevention is increasing awareness of the

potential dangers of shaking. There are programs offered to teach parents how to soothe a child
and ways to manage the stress of parenting. Another method that can help stop a child from
crying is the five Ss approach. The five Ss stand for Shushing, Side/Stomach positioning,
Sucking, Swaddling, and Swinging gently.
If your child will not stop crying, you can always do the follow:

Make sure the babys basic needs are met

Check for signs of illness, like fever or swollen gums
Rock or walk with the baby
Sing or talk to the baby
Offer the baby a pacifier or a noisy toy
Take the baby for a ride in a stroller or car
Hold the baby close against you
Rub or pat the babys back
Call a friend or relative for support or to take of the baby while you take a break
Call your doctor if nothing seems to be helping your infant, in case there is a medical
reason for the fussiness.

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It is acceptable to place your child in their crib when they are crying. This way you can
calm yourself down before you possibly lose control and hurt the baby.
As your child develops and grows, they will be able to get into more trouble. Children reach
milestones such as becoming mobile, becoming more curious, the ability to pick up small
objects, and having a habit of putting everything and anything in their mouths. You can find
all kinds of gadgets for sale that can really help your home childproofing efforts. Supervision is
obviously the best device, but accidents can happen.
There are many hazards to consider. Some ways to ensure your child will not get hurt
around your home is by:

Using furniture straps to hold TVs, bookshelves, dressers, and other heavy furniture in

place in any rooms where your child might be left alone.

Put corner or edge bumpers on any furniture with sharp edges.
Always keep toilet lids down and secured with a lid lock.
Use cord holders to keep longer cords fastened against walls.
Store all medications in a high, locked cabinet.
Tie all blind cords out of reach, or cut the ends and attach breakaway safety tassels.
Put outlet covers on all exposed electrical sockets.
Lock up household cleaners and other chemicals.
Adjust your water heater to 120 degrees and no higher.
Install no-slip strips on the bottom of your tub and a soft cover on the faucet.
Install safety gates at the bottom and top of your stairs. Also in the doorway of rooms

your child shouldnt go in.

Unplug appliances
It is important to make sure small objects are not laying around. A child has the potential

of swallowing or choking on them. Be sure all animals stay away from your child unless they are
in your arms. Pets may jump, scratch, or bite on accident and hurt the baby.
Preparation is something every parent should do before the baby arrives. This way stress
will be limited, you know what to expect, and know how to keep your child safe. Be

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well educated on SIDS, Shaken Baby Syndrome, and having a child proof home. This way your
child will be safer, and healthier!