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March 5, 2010 By Kelley Parris-Barnes The visual of a baby being shaken is powerful; the act itself results in death, developmental disabilities, blindness, hearing loss, behavioral problems and a dramatic reduction in the quality of life for any survivor. We know the leading cause of injuries from shaking a baby (shaken baby syndrome/abusive head injury) is sustained infant crying. We know that shaking an infant is not always an intentional act of violence and many times a lack of education as to just how little force it takes to damage a child by shaking. Nevertheless, it has serious lifelong consequences for both the victim and the perpetrator of the violent act. The recent death of a child in our community only brings the haunting results of shaking a baby home. The state Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention recognizes the toll it takes on the children of Alabama, and this is why we are spearheading the effort in Alabama to reduce the incidents of shaken baby syndrome/abusive head injury at the grassroots level. January marked the kickoff of a pilot project in Jefferson County that we hope to replicate statewide. Using a simulator infant doll and creating a coalition of child advocates to include all hospitals, l aw enforcement, first responders, non-profit agencies, institutions of higher learning, civic partners, private enterprise, religious organizations, and local and state partners, we are dedicated to reducing the number of children who suffer from the lasting effects of shaken baby syndrome/abusive head injury and even death. Abuse and neglect cost the taxpayers of Alabama approximately $520 million a year in direct and i ndirect costs. If a child survives being shaken, the average cost of initial hospitalization is $95,000; extrapolate those costs over a lifetime and what is the price tag? While state funds are short, prevention funds do not need to be reduced. Cutting state dollars at this level prevents agencies from having the ability to match federal dollars available to support local programming. The Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention, "Children Trust Fund," has two bills currently in the Legislature that would provide the much needed funding to draw down federal dollars. Senate Bill 20 (Larry Means) and House Bill 378 (Cam Ward), are worth having every citizen in the state who is concerned about child advocacy investigate and subsequently contact your legislators. We are dedicated to building strong and healthy communities that benefit every citizen of Alabama. Remember, a child has never died of crying and it is much easier to nurture a child than to fix a broken adult. Kelley Parris-Barnes is director of the Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention |
