Reducing shaken baby cases goal of new campaign
By Erick Rommel
Head Staff Writer
In the past two weeks, two infants died in New Jersey from injuries that prosecutors blame on frustrated parents.
On Nov. 19, two-and-a-half year old Melissa Rivero died in Wharton. Morris County Prosecutor Michael Rubbinaccio says an autopsy shows she was violently shaken, resulting in brain injuries and retinal hemorrhages consistent with Shaken Baby Syndrome. Her father, 42-year-old Jose Luis Rivero, is charged with aggravated manslaughter and child endangerment.
Less than one week earlier, Nov. 13, emergency crews rushed two-month-old Angelo Cartagena to the hospital after his father called 911 saying the child wasn’t breathing. Doctors pronounced him brain dead Nov. 15 and he died the next day. An autopsy showed the same injuries experienced by Rivero. In addition, both the baby’s legs were broken and his ribs were injured as well. Cartagena’s 25-year-old-father, also named Angelo, is charged with murder and endangering the welfare of a child.
Both cases are examples why New Jersey wants to expand its child abuse prevention efforts, with the help of medical institutions such as St. Peter’s University Hospital. Since 1999, 16 infants have died in New Jersey as the result of Shaken Baby Syndrome. On Nov. 17, at St. Peter’s, the Department of Human Services announced the launch of a new program to reduce the number of shaken baby deaths in the state.
“Parents are often stressed by the new responsibilities a baby can bring,” said James. M. Davy, commissioner of the Department of Human Services. “Through this effort, we hope to prevent the tragedy of shaken baby syndrome and provide new parents with the support they need.”
Shaken Baby Syndrome is the result of a serious brain injury that results from an infant being shaken, often in an effort to make the baby stop crying.
In 70 percent of shaken baby deaths, the child’s mother or father was responsible.
Under current law, medical facilities are only required to supply new parents with general information about child abuse and neglect. Assemblyman Louis Greenwald, a democrat representing Camden, plans to introduce legislation requiring all new parents receive information about Shaken Baby Syndrome as well.
Symptoms of Shaken Baby Syndrome include lethargy, irritability, seizures which are most noticeable as the rolling of the baby’s eyes upward into her head, semiconsciousness, difficulty breathing, blood spots or the pooling of blood in the eyes, vomiting, constipation, dilated pupils that are larger than normal and do not respond to light and decreased appetite.
Children injured by Shaken Baby Syndrome can die or be left in a permanent vegetative state. Other life-long complications include learning problems, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, speech difficulties, paralysis, behavioral problems, seizures, hearing loss and blindness.
The new shaken baby campaign includes brochures and posters available in English and Spanish. Information will also be available in hospital nurseries and pediatrician offices in partnership with the New Jersey Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the New Jersey Hospital Association.
“Today is an important step for all of us who care for children,” said Dr. Bipin Patel, chairman of pediatrics at St. Peter’s and president of the New Jersey chapter of AAP.
If you feel you can not cope and need help caring for your baby, call the Family Hotline, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The number is (800) THE-KIDS.
Pledge to a Crying Baby I love you and I promise to:
Sign this pledge and also have your other caregivers sign it and |
*The attached/referenced article was originally published in The Catholic Spirit, the official newspaper of the Diocese of Metuchen, and is protected under U.S. and international copyright law