A momentary loss of control on the part of a parent, caregiver or family friend, triggered perhaps by inconsolable crying or misbehavior, and a young child's life can be destroyed. There's that jabbing sense of inadequacy when your efforts to soothe don't succeed. The sudden swelling of rage that makes your heart pound, your face flush, your fists clench. Never Shake A Baby Under Any Circumstances. For instance, never rouse a baby who has stopped breathing during sleep, by shaking him, cautions David L. Chadwick, M.D., at Children's Hospital in San Diego.
Doctors now recommend patting and calling out to a baby experiencing apnea.
Avoid rough play. N ormal play activities are miles away the kind of violence it takes to cause SBS, rays Randell Alexander, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Iowa College of Medicine. Still, avoid tossing a baby in the air, swinging him around or bouncing him wildly. Do your homework before hiring a caregiver. Carefully check references.