Shaken baby syndrome is described as what?

• A. A minor bruise
• B. A disease caused by infection
• C. A life-threatening injury that occurs when an infant is forcefully shaken back and forth, rupturing blood vessels in the brain and breaking neural connections
• D. A congenital brain anomaly

Answer: (C)

Shaken baby syndrome describes a life-threatening injury produced when an infant is forcefully shaken back and forth. The violent movement causes the brain to move within the skull, tearing delicate neural connections and rupturing blood vessels, which can lead to severe brain injury, bleeding around the brain, and long-term neurologic damage. This is not a minor bruise, an infection, or a congenital brain anomaly, but a severe form of abusive head trauma resulting from the shaking.