SRES112APR15

TheWeekInCongress.com

Week Ending April 15, 2005

Senate Resolution 112 designating the third week of April in 2005 as “National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week”.

BRIEF

Begun by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, the “Week” aims to focus awareness on this cause of death and injury to very young children. The Resolution sponsor Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) explained the extent of the problem, “children age 1 and younger accounted for 41.2 percent of child abuse and neglect deaths in 2002, and children age 4 and younger accounted for 76.1 percent of all child abuse and neglect deaths.

"Abusive head trauma, including the trauma known as shaken baby syndrome, is recognized as the leading cause of death of physically abused children, especially young children. Shaken baby syndrome is a totally preventable form of child abuse that results from a caregiver losing control and shaking a baby, usually an infant who is less than 1 year old. This severe shaking can kill the baby, or it can cause loss of vision, brain damage, paralysis, and seizures, resulting in lifelong disabilities and causing untold grief for many families. If a child survives shaken baby syndrome, the resulting medical costs to care for a single, disabled child in just the first few years of life may exceed $1,000,000.”

Nearly one million children are abused in the US and nearly 4 die daily because of it.

Sponsor: Senator Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT)

Vote: Passed Senate by Unanimous Consent (April 15, 2005)

Cost to the taxpayers: No discernible cost.

MORE INFORMATION

Mr. DODD: “Mr. President, I rise today, along with my colleague Senator Alexander, in support of the resolution the Senate has passed to proclaim the third week of April of 2005 as Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week. I would like to recognize the many groups, particularly the National Shaken Baby Coalition and the SKIPPER Initiative, who support this effort to increase awareness of one of the most devastating forms of child abuse, one that results in the death or lifelong disability of too many children each year.

“We must recognize child abuse and neglect as the public health problem it is, one that is linked with a host of other problems facing our country and one that needs the comprehensive approach of our entire public health system to solve. The month of April has been designated National Child Abuse Prevention Month as an annual tradition that was initiated in 1979 by former President Jimmy Carter. In 2005, April will again be National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

“The tragedy of child abuse is well documented. According to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System, NCANDS, almost 900,000 children were victims of abuse and neglect in the United States in 2002, causing unspeakable pain and suffering to our most vulnerable citizens. Each day, nearly four of these children die as a result of this abuse. Most experts are certain that cases of child abuse and neglect are in fact underreported.

“Very young children are particularly vulnerable to the pain of child abuse and neglect. In 2002, children age 1 and younger accounted for 41.2 percent of child abuse and neglect deaths in 2002, and children age 4 and younger accounted for 76.1 percent of all child abuse and neglect deaths.

“Abusive head trauma, including the trauma known as shaken baby syndrome, is recognized as the leading cause of death of physically abused children, especially young children. Shaken baby syndrome is a totally preventable form of child abuse that results from a caregiver losing control and shaking a baby, usually an infant who is less than 1 year old. This severe shaking can kill the baby, or it can cause loss of vision, brain damage, paralysis, and seizures, resulting in lifelong disabilities and causing untold grief for many families. If a child survives shaken baby syndrome, the resulting medical costs to care for a single, disabled child in just the first few years of life may exceed $1,000,000.

“Too many families have experienced the pain of shaken baby syndrome. A 2003 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association estimates that, in the United States, an average of 300 children will die each year, and 600 to 1,200 more will be injured, of whom 2/3 will be babies or infants under 1 year in age, as a result of shaken baby syndrome. Medical professionals believe that thousands more cases of shaken baby syndrome are being misdiagnosed or not detected.

“Families should be spared the needless tragedy of shaken baby syndrome. The most effective solution to ending Shaken Baby Syndrome is to prevent such abuse, and it is clear that the minimal costs of educational and prevention programs may help to protect our young children and stop this tragedy from occurring. In 1995, the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect recommended a universal approach to the prevention of child fatalities that would reach out to all families through the implementation of several key strategies. Such efforts began by providing services such as home visitation by trained professionals or paraprofessionals, hospital-linked outreach to parents of infants and toddlers, community-based programs designed for the specific needs of neighborhoods, and effective public education campaigns.

“Prevention programs like the ones recommended by the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect have demonstrated that educating new parents about the danger of shaking young children and how they can help protect their child from injury can bring about a significant reduction in the number of cases of shaken baby syndrome. In 1998, Dr. Mark Dias started the Upstate New York SBS Prevention Project at Children's Hospital of Buffalo. It uses a simple 11-minute video to educate new parents before they leave the hospital. Since that time, the number of shaken baby incidents in the Buffalo area has dropped by nearly 50 percent: none of the perpetrators have been identified as participants in the hospital education program. Hospitals around the country, including several in my own State of Connecticut, have adopted programs similar to these to educate new parents about the dangers of shaking young children.

“I urge the Senate to adopt this resolution designating the third week of April of 2005 and 2006 as National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week, and to take part in the many local and national activities and events recognizing the month of April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

“The prevention of shaken baby syndrome is supported by advocacy groups across the United States that were formed by parents and relatives of children who have been killed or injured by shaking. I ask unanimous consent that a list of groups supporting this resolution be printed in the RECORD.”

There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in ahe RECORD, as follows:

GROUPS SUPPORTING ``NATIONAL SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME AWARENESS WEEK''

The National Shaken Baby Coalition

The National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome

The Children's Defense Fund

The American Academy of Pediatrics

The Child Welfare League of America Prevent Child Abuse America

The National Child Abuse Coalition

The National Exchange Club Foundation

The American Humane Association

The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children

The Arc of the United States

The Association of University Centers on Disabilities

Children's Healthcare is a Legal Duty

Family Partnership

Family Voices

National Alliance of Children's Trust and Prevention Funds

United Cerebral Palsy

The National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions

Never Shake a Baby Arizona/Prevent Child Abuse Arizona

The Center for Child Protection and Family Support

The resolution, with its preamble, is as follows:

S. Res. 112

Whereas the month of April has been designated ``National Child Abuse Prevention Month'' as an annual tradition that was initiated in 1979 by former President Jimmy Carter;

Whereas the most recent National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) figures show that almost 900,000 children were victims of abuse and neglect in the United States in 2002, causing unspeakable pain and suffering to our most vulnerable citizens;

Whereas among the children who are victims of abuse and neglect, nearly 4 children die each day in this country;

Whereas children age 1 and younger accounted for 41.2 percent of child abuse and neglect fatalities in 2002, and children age 4 and younger accounted for 76.1 percent of all child abuse and neglect fatalities in 2002;

Whereas abusive head trauma, including the trauma known as Shaken Baby Syndrome, is recognized as the leading cause of death of physically abused children;

Whereas Shaken Baby Syndrome is a totally preventable form of child abuse, caused by a caregiver losing control and shaking a baby that is usually less than 1 year in age;

Whereas Shaken Baby Syndrome can result in loss of vision, brain damage, paralysis, seizures, or death;

Whereas a 2003 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association estimates that, in the United States, an average of 300 children will die each year, and 600 to 1,200 more will be injured, of whom 2/3 will be babies or infants under 1 year in age, as a result of Shaken Baby Syndrome, with many cases resulting in severe and permanent disabilities;

Whereas medical professionals believe that thousands of additional cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome are being misdiagnosed or not detected;

Whereas Shaken Baby Syndrome often results in permanent, irreparable brain damage or death to an infant and may result in more than $1,000,000 in medical costs to care for a single, disabled child in just the first few years of life;

Whereas the most effective solution for ending Shaken Baby Syndrome is to prevent such abuse, and it is clear that the minimal costs of education and prevention programs may prevent enormous medical and disability costs and untold grief for many families;

Whereas prevention programs have demonstrated that educating new parents about the danger of shaking young children and how they can help protect their child from injury can bring about a significant reduction in the number of cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome;

Whereas education programs have been shown to raise awareness and provide critically important information about Shaken Baby Syndrome to parents, caregivers, daycare workers, child protection employees, law enforcement personnel, health care professionals, and legal representatives;

Whereas efforts to prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome are supported by advocacy groups across the United States that were formed by parents and relatives of children who have been killed or injured by shaking, such as the National Shaken Baby Coalition, the Shaken Baby Association, the SKIPPER (Shaking Kills: Instead Parents Please Educate and Remember) Initiative, the Shaken Baby Alliance, Shaken Baby Prevention, Inc., A Voice for Gabbi, Don't Shake Jake, and the Kierra Harrison Foundation, whose mission is to educate the general public and professionals about Shaken Baby Syndrome and to increase support for victims and victim's families in the health care and criminal justice systems;

Whereas child abuse prevention programs and ``National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week'' are supported by the National Shaken Baby Coalition, the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome, the Children's Defense Fund, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Child Welfare League of America, Prevent Child Abuse America, the National Child Abuse Coalition, the National Exchange Club Foundation, the American Humane Association, the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, the Arc of the United States, the Association of University Centers on Disabilities, Children's Healthcare is a Legal Duty, Family Partnership, Family Voices, National Alliance of Children's Trust and Prevention Funds, United Cerebral Palsy, the National Association of Children's Hospitals and related institutions, Never Shake a Baby Arizona/Prevent Child Abuse Arizona, the Center for Child Protection and Family Support, and many other organizations;

Whereas a 2000 survey by Prevent Child Abuse America shows that half of all Americans believe that of all the public health issues facing this country, child abuse and neglect is the most important;

Whereas Congress previously designated the third week of April 2001 as ``National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week 2001''; and

Whereas Congress strongly supports efforts to protect children from abuse and neglect: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate--

(1) designates the third week of April in 2005 as ``National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week''; and

(2) encourages the people of the United States to remember the victims of Shaken Baby Syndrome and to participate in educational programs to help prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome.

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