Signs of Shaken Baby Syndrome may vary from mild to severe. The onset of symptoms is immediate; however, in many cases there is no external sign of injury.
Symptoms of Shaken Baby Syndrome that you may see:
lack of energy, sluggish
extreme irritability, annoyed, impatient
inability to suck or swallow
decreased appetite, not feeding like usual
vomiting, more than just spitting up after eating
difficulty breathing or short shallow breaths
rigidity or posturing, including abnormal bending of the arms, clenched fists, extended legs, severe arching of the back, or head thrown backwards
inability of eyes to focus or unequal size of pupils
seizures, may lose consciousness and experience convulsions
coma, deep and prolonged unconsciousness
Injuries your pediatrician may find:
intracranial bleeding, bleeding within the skull
cerebral edema, excess accumulation of water in brain
retinal hemorrhages, bleeding of blood vessels in the retina or membrane in the back of the eye
rib fractures, break or fracture in one or more of the bones making up the rib cage
fractures of long bones, break or fracture in the femur, tibia, or other long bones
skull fractures, break or fracture in the skull
Long-term effects may include:
severe brain injury or damage
learning disabilities and/or behavior disorders
impaired motor or cognitive skills
visual impairment or any kind of vision loss
paralysis or loss of muscle function for one or more muscle groups
seizure disorder, where the brain’s activity is periodically disturbed and it results in some degree of temporary brain dysfunction
death