Often, although not always, babies and young children are shaken when a parent or carer becomes very frustrated becasue the child will not stop crying, usually due to colic, illness or feeding difficulties.  On average a baby will cry for at least two hours every day.  If  baby has additional difficulties, they will cry more and this can be very stressful.  One in ten babies cry much more than this average and many parents experience a great deal of difficulty managing this.

Many parents may not realise the extent of the damage that a shake can do to a young child.  Parents/carers who have a low tolerance level may become angry and more likely to shake their child.  However there are many alternatives to try and many people to talk to.

Some very rough play with a young child can also cause some similar injuries so never shake a young child.

Shaking a baby can cause death or serious and long lasting brain damage. 

Shaken Baby Syndrome is an injury that happens when a baby is shaken so that his or her head wobbles rapidly back and forth.  The force of this can tear the blood vessels that connect the brain and skull.  This happens because a young child's neck muscles are not strong enough to hold their head firmly.  The action of shaking can cause serious damage even though the parent does not perceive it as fierce. 

Never ever shake a baby, for any reason.

Ways to cope with a crying baby

Crying is the way all babies make sure their basic needs are met - they may be hungry, thristy, need a change of napy, or eve some company or a hug.  Crying is neither your fault nor the fault of the baby.

Some of the ways to cope include:

• county to 10 before doing anything and allow yourself to calm down
• consider using a dummy
• hug and cuddle your child - perhaps with the use of a baby-carrier so that they are close to your body in order to help soothe them
• go for a walk or a drive to help them sleep
• make use of a helpline in times of crisis
• if necessary walk out of the room for a short time, ensuring that you are nearby
• ask someone else you trust to take over for a while
• use of  baby massage can help - gently rub the soles of the baby's feet
• babies find gentle stroking of the hair or forehead soothing