Abstract
Background
The frequency of and risk factors for shaken baby syndrome remain poorly documented for several reasons: the real number of “benign” cases of shaken baby syndrome are not known; information sources used are diverse, there have been changes over time in the definition of this pathology and few population-based epidemiological studies are available.
Objective
Estimate the frequency of fatal shaken baby syndrome and determine its risk factors through research carried out on fatal cases in three regions of France while comparing them to data from international publications.
Materials and methods
A retrospective epidemiological study of all cases of fatal shaken baby syndrome affecting infants younger than 1 year of age who were examined by the courts during a 5-year period in a defined geographical area. Shaken baby syndrome cases were compared with infanticide cases for risk factors and a comparison was made of family characteristics with those of the general population.
Results
Thirty-seven cases of shaken baby syndrome were recorded (a rate of 2.9 for 100,000 live births). As in other studies, we found a strong predominance of male victims (78%), young age (median age: 4 months) and a high rate of prematurity (22%). Conversely, results on family educational and socioeconomical levels differ from those reported in numerous studies. Parent perpetrators of shaken baby syndrome belong to higher social classes than those of other types of homicide and socially reflect the population they come from.
Conclusion
Our study suggests 1) that epidemiological studies on shaken baby syndrome should include both medical and judicial information sources and 2) that primary prevention strategies (especially in maternity wards) should target all social classes.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Minns RA, Busuttil A (2004) Patterns of presentation of the shaken baby syndrome: four types of inflicted brain injury predominate. BMJ 328:766
Christian CW, Block R (2009) Abusive head trauma in infants and children. Pediatrics 123:1409–1411
Roussey M, Dabadie A, Betremieux P, Lefrancois MC, Journel H, Gandon Y (1987) Des sévices pas toujours évidents : l'enfant secoué. [Not-always-apparent abuse: the shaken baby syndrome]. Arch Fr Pédiatr 44:441–444
Société Française de Médecine Physique et de Réadaptation (SOFMER) [French Society for Physical and Rehabilitative Medicine]. (2014)] Recommandation; Syndrome du bébé secoué. [Recommendations : Shaken Baby Syndrome.] Paris. Haute Autorité de Santé [High Authority for Health]. Recommandations de bonne pratique [Recommendations for best practice]
INSEE (2014) Estimation de la population au 1er janvier par région, département (1975-2013), sexe et âge. [Population estimation as of 1 January by region and department (1975-2013), sex and age.] Paris. Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques. [National Institute of statistics and economic studies]. http://www.insee.fr/fr/ffc/docs_ffc/elp_reg_dep.htm. Accessed 22 Feb 2014
INSEE. (1999) Recensement de la population 1999. Exploitation complémentaire: population de 15 ans ou plus par région, sexe, âge et catégorie socio-professionnelle. [1999 population census. Further data processing: population 15 years and older by region, sex, age and socio-economic status.] Paris. Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques. [National Institute of statistics and economic studies]. http://www.insee.fr/fr/default.asp. Accessed 19 Jan 2014
Fanconi M, Lips U (2010) Shaken baby syndrome in Switzerland: results of a prospective follow-up study, 2002–2007. Eur J Pediatr 169:1023–1028
Fujiwara T, Barr RG, Brant RF et al (2012) Using international classification of diseases, 10th edition, codes to estimate abusive head trauma in children. Am J Prev Med 43:215–220
Gumbs GR, Keenan HT, Sevick CJ et al (2013) Infant abusive head trauma in a military cohort. Pediatrics 132:668–676
Hobbs CJ, Bilo RA (2009) Nonaccidental trauma: clinical aspects and epidemiology of child abuse. Pediatr Radiol 39:457–460
Keenan HT, Runyan DK, Marshall SW et al (2003) A population-based study of inflicted traumatic brain injury in young children. JAMA 290:621–626
Minns RA, Jones PA, Mok JYQ (2008) Incidence and demography of non-accidental head injury in southeast Scotland from a national database. Am J Prev Med 34:S126–S133
Niederkrotenthaler T, Xu L, Parks SE et al (2013) Descriptive factors of abusive head trauma in young children–United States, 2000–2009. Child Abuse Negl 37:446–455
Talvik I, Metsvaht T, Leito K et al (2006) Inflicted traumatic brain injury (ITBI) or shaken baby syndrome (SBS) in Estonia. Acta Paediatr 95:799–804
Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (2011) Kids inpatient database, Rockville, Maryland. HCUP. http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/kidoverview.jsp Accessed 15 Dec, 2013
Tursz A, Crost M, Gerbouin-Rérolle P et al (2010) Underascertainment of child abuse fatalities in France: retrospective analysis of judicial data to assess underreporting of infant homicides in mortality statistics. Child Abuse Negl 34:534–544
Tursz A, Cook JM (2011) A population-based survey of neonaticides using judicial data. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. doi:10.1136/adc.2010.192278
Barr RG, Trent RB, Cross J (2006) Age-related incidence curve of hospitalized shaken baby syndrome cases: convergent evidence for crying as a trigger to shaking. Child Abuse Negl 30:7–16
Vilain A, de Peretti C, Herbet JB, Blondel B. (2005) La situation périnatale en France en 2003. Premiers résultats de l'Enquête nationale périnatale. [The perinatal situation in France in 2003. Preliminary results from the National Perinatal Study.] La Direction de la recherche, des études, de l’évaluation et des statistiques (Drees),[Directory for research, studies, evaluation, and statistics], Études et résultats N° 383:mars. [Research and results, N° 383, March.]
Adamsbaum C, Grabar S, Mejean N et al (2010) Abusive head trauma: judicial admissions highlight violent and repetitive shaking. Pediatrics 126:546–555
Barr RG, Runyan DK (2008) Inflicted childhood neurotrauma: the problem set and challenges to measuring incidence. Am J Prev Med 34:S106–S111
Sieswerda-Hoogendoorn T, Bilo RA, van Duurling LL et al (2013) Abusive head trauma in young children in the Netherlands: evidence for multiple incidents of abuse. Acta Paediatr 102:e497–e501
Gutierrez FL, Clements PT, Averill J (2004) Shaken baby syndrome: assessment, intervention, & prevention. J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv 42:22–29
Sinal SH, Petree AR, Herman-Giddens M et al (2000) Is race or ethnicity a predictive factor in shaken baby syndrome? Child Abuse Negl 24:1241–1246
Lane WG, Rubin DM, Monteith R et al (2002) Racial differences in the evaluation of pediatric fractures for physical abuse. JAMA 288:1603–1609
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank the following funding bodies: the General Direction of Health, the research program “Law and Justice” in the Ministry of Justice, the National Observatory of Children in Danger, the Île de France Region, the Foundation for Research in Psychiatry and Mental Health, and the Wyeth Foundation for Child and Adolescent Health.
Conflicts of interest
None
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tursz, A., Cook, J.M. Epidemiological data on shaken baby syndrome in France using judicial sources. Pediatr Radiol 44 (Suppl 4), 641–646 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-014-3097-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-014-3097-7