For those children that survive, the long-term financial and medical burden is extensive.Ĭaregivers rarely admit to the deliberate abuse of infants and children. Preventive mental health care is the best option to reduce child abuse. The solution to avoiding abusive head trauma is caregiver education to avoid accidental pediatric abusive head trauma and shaken baby syndrome and training health providers to recognize the signs and symptoms. Health professionals may not recognize the signs and symptoms due to the frequent lack of external signs of head trauma or abuse. Often the individuals responsible are evasive. Early diagnosis is essential but may prove challenging. The outcome ranges from complete recovery to significant brain damage and death.īrain and head injuries are the most common cause of traumatic death in children less than 2 years. Ībusive head trauma typically involves injury to the intracranial contents or skull of an infant or child younger than 5 years old as a result of violent shaking or blunt impact. Another term for this condition is shaken baby syndrome (SBS). Shaking, blunt impact or the combination can result in neurological injury. AHT is the most dangerous and deadly form of child abuse.

Pediatric abusive head trauma (AHT) most often involves brain injury of infants and young children.

Signs of serious head trauma