HR0228 LRB095 11653 KBJ 33823 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Shaken baby syndrome is a type of inflicted
3 traumatic brain injury that occurs when a baby is violently
4 shaken; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Shaken baby syndrome causes the brain to bruise,
6 swell, or even bleed, which can ultimately lead to permanent,
7 severe brain damage or death; and
 
8     WHEREAS, The majority of shaken baby syndrome cases are
9 caused by a parent or a regular caregiver of the child who
10 shakes the baby out of frustration or stress due to
11 uncontrollable crying in children, usually between the ages of
12 3 and 8 months; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Approximately 20% of cases are fatal in the first
14 few days after injury, and the majority of the survivors of
15 shaken baby syndrome are left with handicaps ranging from mild
16 learning disorders and behavioral changes to moderate and
17 severe disorders, including profound mental and developmental
18 retardation, paralysis, blindness, or even leaving the baby in
19 a permanent vegetative state; and
 
20     WHEREAS, While some symptoms of shaken baby syndrome are
21 immediately apparent, more long-term damage may not be apparent

 

 

HR0228 - 2 - LRB095 11653 KBJ 33823 r

1 until the child reaches school age; and
 
2     WHEREAS, Although it is difficult to track the incidence of
3 shaken baby syndrome, the leading cause of death among child
4 abuse victims is due to head trauma injuries; and
 
5     WHEREAS, According to a North Carolina research project
6 published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in
7 2003, approximately 30 per 100,000 children under the age of
8 one suffered inflicted brain injuries; therefore, be it
 
9     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
10 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
11 urge the State Board of Education to develop a curriculum for
12 implementing shaken baby syndrome prevention and awareness
13 programs for junior high and high school students; and be it
14 further
 
15     RESOLVED, That we urge the program to incorporate resources
16 already provided by national organizations that promote
17 awareness, such as the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome,
18 to educate students about the medical aspects of shaking
19 injuries, how to cope with the stress of caring for an infant,
20 and how to prevent shaken baby syndrome.