III 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 163 

Designating the third week of April 2007 as ‘‘National Shaken Baby 

Syndrome Awareness Week’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 20, 2007 

Mr. DODD (for himself, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. DURBIN, Ms. 

CANTWELL, Mr. COLEMAN, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. BAYH, Mr. BENNETT, Mr. 

SCHUMER, Mr. DOMENICI, Mrs. CLINTON, Mr. HATCH, Mr. SALAZAR, 

and Mr. LIEBERMAN) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating the third week of April 2007 as ‘‘National 

Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week’’. 

Whereas the month of April has been designated ‘‘National 

Child Abuse Prevention Month’’ as an annual tradition 

that was initiated in 1979 by former President Jimmy 

Carter; 

Whereas the most recent National Child Abuse and Neglect 

Data System figures reveal that almost 900,000 children 

were victims of abuse and neglect in the United States 

in 2005, causing unspeakable pain and suffering to our 

most vulnerable citizens; 


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•SRES 163 ATS 

Whereas among the children who are victims of abuse and 

neglect, more than 4 children die in the United States 

each day; 

Whereas children aged 1 year or younger accounted for approximately 42 percent of all child abuse and neglect fatalities in 2005, and children aged 3 years or younger accounted for approximately 77 percent of all child abuse 

and neglect fatalities in 2005; 

Whereas abusive head trauma, including the trauma known 

as ‘‘Shaken Baby Syndrome’’, is recognized as the leading cause of death of physically abused children; 

Whereas Shaken Baby Syndrome can result in loss of vision, 

brain damage, paralysis, seizures, or death; 

Whereas a 2003 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association estimated that, in the United States, an 

average of 300 children will die each year, and 600 to 

1,200 more will be injured, of whom 2⁄3 will be babies or 

infants under 1 year in age, as a result of Shaken Baby 

Syndrome, with many cases resulting in severe and permanent disabilities; 

Whereas medical professionals believe that thousands of additional cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome and other forms 

of abusive head trauma are being misdiagnosed or are 

not detected; 

Whereas Shaken Baby Syndrome often results in permanent, 

irreparable brain damage or death to an infant and may 

result in extraordinary costs for the provision of medical 

care to the infant in just the first few years of life of the 

infant; 

Whereas the most effective solution for ending Shaken Baby 

Syndrome is to prevent the abuse, and it is clear that the 


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minimal costs of education and prevention programs may 

prevent enormous medical and disability costs and immeasurable amounts of grief for many families; 

Whereas prevention programs have demonstrated that educating new parents about the danger of shaking young 

children and how they can help protect their child from 

injury can bring about a significant reduction in the 

number of cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome; 

Whereas education programs have been shown to raise awareness and provide critically important information about 

Shaken Baby Syndrome to parents, caregivers, daycare 

workers, child protection employees, law enforcement personnel, health care professionals, and legal representatives; 

Whereas ‘‘National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness 

Week’’ and efforts to prevent child abuse, including 

Shaken Baby Syndrome, are supported by groups across 

the United States, including those formed by parents and 

relatives of children who have been killed or injured by 

shaking, whose mission is to educate the general public 

and professionals about Shaken Baby Syndrome and to 

increase support for victims and the families of the victims in the health care and criminal justice systems; 

Whereas Congress previously designated the third week of 

April 2001 as ‘‘National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week 2001’’; and 

Whereas Congress strongly supports efforts to protect children from abuse and neglect: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 


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1 (1) designates the third week of April 2007 as 

2 ‘‘National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness 

3 Week’’; 

4 (2) commends those hospitals, child care coun5 cils, schools, community groups, and other organiza6 tions that are— 

7 (A) working to increase awareness of the 

8 danger of shaking young children; and 

9 (B) educating parents and caregivers on 

10 how they can help protect children from injuries 

11 caused by abusive shaking; and 

12 (C) helping families cope effectively with 

13 the challenges of child-rearing and other 

14 stresses in their lives; and 

15 (3) encourages the citizens of the United States 

16 to— 

17 (A) remember the victims of Shaken Baby 

18 Syndrome; and 

19 (B) participate in educational programs to 

20 help prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome. 

Æ 


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