Shaken Baby Syndrome - Diagnosis
Shaken baby syndrome is often difficult to diagnose. There are usually no witnesses to the shaking. The baby may seem to be normal for a period of time after shaking. Babies who act abnormally may be diagnosed with some other medical disorder. Some changes in behavior that may suggest SBS include vomiting, seizures, or loss of consciousness. A baby may also have difficulty breathing, sucking, swallowing, or making sounds.
Additional clues about SBS sometimes come from interviews with the baby's parents. The parents may offer other reasons for the baby's unusual behavior. The explanations offered may not seem reasonable to a doctor.
A doctor who suspects SBS may look for several characteristic conditions that accompany the disorder. The first condition is bleeding at the back of both eyes. Shaking easily breaks blood vessels at the back of the eye. The bleeding is easy to see when the eyes are examined carefully.
Two other conditions often found with SBS are cerebral edema (pronounced suh-REE-bruhl ih-DEE-muh) and subdural hematoma (pronounced sub-DYOOR-uhl hee-muh-TOE-muh). These two terms refer to masses of blood in the brain caused when tissues swell and blood vessels break. The two conditions can be detected by using some form of imaging technique, such as a computed tomography (CT) scan (often also called a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These techniques use X-ray photographs or electromagnetic fields to provide pictures of the interior of the brain without actually doing surgery.
- Cerebral edema:
- Swelling of the brain caused by an accumulation of fluid.
- Child abuse:
- Intentional harm done to infants and children, usually by parents or care givers.
- Computed tomography (CT) scan:
- A technique in which X-ray photographs of a particular part of the body are taken from different angles. The pictures are then fed into a computer that creates a single composite image of the internal (inside) part of the body. CT scans provide an important tool in the diagnosis of brain and spinal disorders, cancer and other conditions.
- Computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan:
- Another name for a CT scan.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI):
- A procedure that uses electromagnets and radio waves to produce images of a patient's internal tissue and organs. These images are not blocked by bones, and can be useful in diagnosing brain and spinal disorders and other diseases.
- Subdural hematoma:
- An accumulation of blood in the outer part of the brain.
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