KUALA LUMPUR: Lack of awareness among parents and childcare providers has resulted in a rise in Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) cases over the past three years, said an ophthalmologist.
The number of SBS cases requiring vitrectomy (removal of the gel from within the eyeball) increased to 16 this year from nine last year and five in 2010, said Hospital Kuala Lumpur’s (HKL) ophthalmology department head Dr Joseph Alagaratnam.
He said vigorous or repetitive shaking of an infant could result in bruising, swelling, pressure and bleeding in the brain.
“Forceful shaking can also cause other injuries such as damage to the neck, spine and eyes because the baby’s head is rather heavy while the neck muscles are still weak,” he said at a media briefing yesterday.
Dr Alagaratnam said as a baby normally cried between two and three hours a day, parents and care-givers should know how to handle it.
“SBS can lead to death, mental retardation, blindness, impaired vision, low IQ, autism and behavioural disorders, such as hyperactivity and self-inflicted injuries,” he said. — Bernama
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