Shaken Baby Syndrome: A hospital-based education and prevention program in the intermediate care and the newborn intensive care nurseries

ObjectivesTo educate parents of hospitalized infants on the prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) and to measure their comprehension.MethodsThis study was an educational prevention program on SBS. Parents whose infants were hospitalized participated in the study. Staff nurses educated parents using a script, a video on SBS, written information and roll played with an infant doll. Parents voluntarily sign a commitment statement and are called back at 7 months with a telephone survey.ResultsThere were 802 parents who participated with a 20% participation in the telephone follow-up phone call. The large majority of parents remembered the nurse, video, SBS interactive doll and information received. Although there were 39 incidents of SBS in NM during the study, no infant was discharged from one of the participating units (p < 0.05).ConclusionsEducation of parents of prevention of SBS significantly reduces child abuse, even in high risk infants.