III 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 112 

Designating the third week of April in 2005 as ‘‘National Shaken Baby 

Syndrome Awareness Week’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 15, 2005 

Mr. DODD (for himself, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. BAYH, Mr. BINGAMAN, Ms. 

CANTWELL, Mr. COLEMAN, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. DAYTON, Mr. DURBIN, 

Mr. INOUYE, Mr. JOHNSON, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. 

LIEBERMAN, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. SALAZAR, Mr. SANTORUM, Mr. SCHUMER, and Ms. SNOWE) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION

Designating the third week of April in 2005 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 (NCANDS) figures show that almost 

900,000 children were victims of abuse and neglect in the 

United States in 2002, causing unspeakable pain and 

suffering to our most vulnerable citizens; 
2 

•SRES 112 ATS

Whereas among the children who are victims of abuse and 

neglect, nearly 4 children die each day in this country; 

Whereas children age 1 and younger accounted for 41.2 percent of child abuse and neglect fatalities in 2002, and 

children age 4 and younger accounted for 76.1 percent of 

all child abuse and neglect fatalities in 2002; 

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 is a totally preventable 

form of child abuse, caused by a caregiver losing control 

and shaking a baby that is usually less than 1 year in 

age; 

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 estimates 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 are being 

misdiagnosed or not detected; 

Whereas Shaken Baby Syndrome often results in permanent, 

irreparable brain damage or death to an infant and may 

result in more than $1,000,000 in medical costs to care 

for a single, disabled child in just the first few years of 

life; 
3 

•SRES 112 ATS

Whereas the most effective solution for ending Shaken Baby 

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

the minimal costs of education and prevention programs 

may prevent enormous medical and disability costs and 

untold 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 efforts to prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome are supported by advocacy groups across the United States that 

were formed by parents and relatives of children who 

have been killed or injured by shaking, such as the National Shaken Baby Coalition, the Shaken Baby Association, the SKIPPER (Shaking Kills: Instead Parents 

Please Educate and Remember) Initiative, the Shaken 

Baby Alliance, Shaken Baby Prevention, Inc., A Voice for 

Gabbi, Don’t Shake Jake, and the Kierra Harrison 

Foundation, whose mission is to educate the general public and professionals about Shaken Baby Syndrome and 

to increase support for victims and victim’s families in 

the health care and criminal justice systems; 

Whereas child abuse prevention programs and ‘‘National 

Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week’’ are supported 

by the National Shaken Baby Coalition, the National 
4 

•SRES 112 ATS

Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome, the Children’s Defense Fund, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the 

Child Welfare League of America, Prevent Child Abuse 

America, the National Child Abuse Coalition, the National Exchange Club Foundation, the American Humane 

Association, the American Professional Society on the 

Abuse of Children, the Arc of the United States, the Association of University Centers on Disabilities, Children’s 

Healthcare is a Legal Duty, Family Partnership, Family 

Voices, National Alliance of Children’s Trust and Prevention Funds, United Cerebral Palsy, the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and related institutions, 

Never Shake a Baby Arizona/Prevent Child Abuse Arizona, the Center for Child Protection and Family Support, and many other organizations; 

Whereas a 2000 survey by Prevent Child Abuse America 

shows that half of all Americans believe that of all the 

public health issues facing this country, child abuse and 

neglect is the most important; 

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— 

2 (1) designates the third week of April in 2005 

3 as ‘‘National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness 

4 Week’’; and 

5 (2) encourages the people of the United States 

6 to remember the victims of Shaken Baby Syndrome 
5 

•SRES 112 ATS

1 and to participate in educational programs to help 

2 prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome. 

Æ