III 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 439 

Designating the third week of April 2006 as ‘‘National Shaken Baby 

Syndrome Awareness Week’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 7, 2006 

Mr. DODD (for himself, Mr. ALEXANDER, Ms. SNOWE, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mrs. 

CLINTON, Mr. LEVIN, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. SALAZAR, Mr. 

DURBIN, and Mr. COLEMAN) submitted the following resolution; which 

was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating the third week of April 2006 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 2002, causing unspeakable pain and suffering to our 

most vulnerable citizens; 


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•SRES 439 ATS

Whereas among the children who are victims of abuse and 

neglect, nearly 4 children die in the United States each 

day; 

Whereas children aged 1 year or younger accounted for 41.2 

percent of all child abuse and neglect fatalities in 2002, 

and children aged 4 years or 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 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 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 more than $1,000,000 in medical costs to care 

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

life; 

Whereas the most effective solution for ending Shaken Baby 

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

minimal costs of education and prevention programs may 


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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 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, including the National Shaken Baby Coalition, the Shaken Baby Association, the Shaking Kills: Instead Parents Please Educate 

and Remember Initiative (commonly known as the 

‘‘SKIPPER 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 the families of the victims 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 

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


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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 approximately half of all citizens of the 

United States believe that, of all the public health issues 

facing the United States, child abuse and neglect is the 

most important issue; 

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 2006 as 

3 ‘‘National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness 

4 Week’’; 

5 (2) commends those hospitals, child care coun6 cils, schools, and other organizations that are— 


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1 (A) working to increase awareness of the 

2 danger of shaking young children; and 

3 (B) educating parents and caregivers on 

4 how they can help protect children from injuries 

5 caused by abusive shaking; and 

6 (3) encourages the citizens of the United States 

7 to— 

8 (A) remember the victims of Shaken Baby 

9 Syndrome; and 

10 (B) participate in educational programs to 

11 help prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome. 

Æ 


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