Economic Conditions Affect Incidence of SBS

Articles in US News and World Report, USA Today and TIME cover a new study showing a significant correlation between abuse head injuries, such as Shaken Baby Syndrome, and the economy...

From the TIME article...

Presenting May 1 at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Vancouver, a team of researchers led by child abuse expert Dr. Rachel Berger at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh reported a significant increase in cases of shaken baby syndrome, in which youngsters are shaken violently by an adult, since the start of the current recession. Researchers analyzed data on 512 cases of head trauma in the children's centers of four hospitals in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Columbus and Seattle, and found that the number of cases had increased to 9.3 cases per month since Dec. 1, 2007, compared with 6 cases per month prior to that date — a rate that had held steady since 2004.

Central Illinois: Shaken Baby Cases Spike

WEEK TV reports on a spike in shaken baby cases in the Peoria area of Illinois.   Six cases in a relatively short time....Link to video report

The past two days, the Peoria Area has seen a sharp spike in the number of children who may be victims of Shaken Baby Syndrome. Area doctors believe the stress of the times could be taking a toll on caregivers and the babies.

Doctor Steven Lichtenstein has been a Pediatric Ophthalmologist for more than twenty years, and he says never in his career has he seen so many cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome, in such a short period of time. The doctor contacted News 25, concerned that this may be a growing trend.

In the past two days alone, Doctor Steven Lichtenstein says he has been asked to evaluate six cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome, and four of which he's already diagnosed.

"Yesterday I saw three babies who definitely had shaken baby syndrome, one baby who I did not see because they weren't dilated. This afternoon at lunchtime I saw one who was definitely shaken baby also" the doctor said.

And he was informed of another case shortly after this interview.
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Psychotherapist Dr. Joy Miller believes one of the contributing factors to the alarming rise in seen at Children's Hospital of Illinois could be the hard economic times.

"I wonder how much stress is playing on these families. Maybe they are very close to the edge and there is a crying baby" Doctor Miller said.