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SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME EDUCATION

In 2007, thirty-three children in Dallas County died at the hands of an abuser.  In 2006, four children died specifically as a result of Shaken Baby Syndrome.  The untimely and tragic deaths of these children could have been prevented through increased education and resources for parents and caregivers.  The CAP Center seeks to support and educate parents, childcare providers, and the community at large as it strives to teach parenting and child care skills to prevent children from being abused.

The CAP Center Shaken Baby Syndrome Education program teaches students and citizens strategies for dealing with crying babies and preventing this insidious form of child abuse.  Shaken Baby Syndrome is a form of Abusive Head Trauma that occurs when a frustrated caregiver shakes and/or slams a child, usually to stop him or her from crying.  Our unique curricula also cover SIDS, Child Abuse Prevention, and highlights of infant brain development.

Currently, between 25% and 50% of the American public is unaware that shaking a child is dangerous.  (Showers, Jacy, Shaken Baby Syndrome, Children Today Volume 21,1992).  Many people do not see shaking as a violent act. Our program hopes to lower the incidence of SBS fatalities and injuries by increasing awareness about Shaken Baby Syndrome among professionals, caregivers, at-risk populations, and the community. This campaign is the equivalent of an immunization effort to protect Dallas County children from SBS.

Since 1999, CAP has presented SBS education to over 8,000 teens, 600 child-care providers and 1,700 citizens. In 2006, we educated over 600 students at 18 high schools in the DFW Area. Our annual child care conference, which meets the requirements of Texas Child Care Licensing Rules regarding required training for persons who care for infants and toddlers under the age of 2, will be held on April 4, 2009.  For the third year, the CAP Center has a contract with the Dallas Independent School District to provide Child Abuse Prevention training, including SBS prevention, to high school students in Dallas, as well as to the Youth and Family Centers and to DISD staff.

In May, 2005, Senate Bill 316 passed, requiring all hospitals, physicians, birthing centers and mid-wives to provide information to all new mothers, fathers or other adult caregivers for the infant, regarding Shaken Baby Syndrome and methods for coping with a crying baby, SIDS, Postpartum Depression and Immunizations.  As a critical provider of educational resources in the SBS area, CAP led in the design, production, and distribution of the pamphlet. Over 43,000 copies were distributed in 2007.

The CAP Center is pleased to offer these seminars to a variety of audiences.  For more information, please contact Chris Deinhammer
cdeinhammer@excap.org.