The term "Shaken Baby" was first discussed in medical literature in 1972 but knowledge about the syndrome continues to develop. Shaken Baby Syndrome can occur when children are violently shaken either as part of a pattern or abuse or simply because an adult, or young caretaker, has momentarily succumbed to the frustration of responding to a crying baby

Violent shaking is especially dangerous to infants and young children because their neck muscles are undeveloped and their brain tissue is exceptionally fragile. Their small size further adds to the risk of injury. Vigorous shaking repeatedly pitches the brain in different directions.

Those sudden motions can cause some parts of the brain to pull away, tearing brain cells and blood vessels in the process. When a child is shaken in anger and frustration, the force is multiplied 5 or 10 times more than it would be in the child had simply tripped and fallen. That force is repeated many times in succession while the child is being shaken.

Shaken Baby Syndrome can have disastrous consequences for the family, the victim, and society. If the child survives, medical bills can be enormous. The victim may require lifelong medical care for brain damage injuries such as mental retardation or cerebral palsy. The child may require institutionalization or other types of long term care. Almost 25 percent of all babies with Shaken Baby Syndrome die.

It is estimated that 25-50 percent of parents and caretakers aren't aware of the effects of shaking a baby. Often frustrated parents or other persons responsible for a child's care feel that shaking a baby is a harmless way to make a child stop crying. The number one reason a baby is shaken is because of inconsolable crying.

Statistics concerning Shaken Baby Syndrome show that almost 80 of the perpetrators of this abuse are male. (Source: The National Exchange Club Foundation for the Prevention of Child Abuse) Biological fathers, stepfathers, and boyfriends of the mother constitute the majority of these men.