Parental awareness, beliefs, and practices regarding shaken baby syndrome: A cross-sectional study

Ünal Akça; Kevser Bacacı; Gülfer Akça

doi:10.66235/kumj.1901649

Parental awareness, beliefs, and practices regarding shaken baby syndrome: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Aims: Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is a preventable but often unrecognized form of child abuse that can result in severe neurological injury or death. This study aimed to assess parental awareness, beliefs, and caregiving practices regarding SBS among parents of children aged 0–2 years.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 319 parents attending pediatric outpatient clinics at a university hospital from March to June 2024. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire covering sociodemographic factors, attitudes towards infant crying, and knowledge about the consequences of shaking. Statistical analyses included chi-square and Spearman correlation tests.

Results: Only 37.6% of parents had heard of SBS, with social media cited as the most common source (18.8%). Despite limited awareness about the dangers of shaking, 57.7% reported regularly using vigorous rocking to soothe crying infants, often unaware of associated risks. Awareness of SBS was positively correlated with parental education level (p<0.01) and negatively correlated with the number of children and dual-working parent households. Misconceptions about infant crying were common, with many believing crying could cause physical or psychological harm.

Conclusion: Awareness of SBS among parents remains inadequate despite its serious health consequences. Comprehensive education programs integrated into prenatal and postnatal care are urgently needed. Targeted interventions by healthcare professionals could significantly reduce the incidence of abusive head trauma.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Non-Interventional Research Ethics Committee of Samsun University Date: 28/02/2024, Decision No: 2024/5/9.

References

1. Aldakheel FN, Alsaleem HN, Abdullah R. Awareness, knowledge, and attitude about shaken baby syndrome among parents in Qassim Region: A cross-sectional study. Int J Med Dev Ctries. 2024. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1703358214
2. King WJ, MacKay M, Sirnick A; Canadian Shaken Baby Study Group. Shaken baby syndrome in Canada: clinical characteristics and outcomes of hospital cases. CMAJ. 2003;168(2):155-159.
3. Hinds T, Shalaby-Rana E, Jackson AM, Khademian Z. Aspects of abuse: abusive head trauma. Curr Probl Pediatr Adolesc Health Care. 2015;45(3):71-79. doi:10.1016/j.cppeds.2015.02.002
4. Barlow KM, Minns RA. Annual incidence of shaken impact syndrome in young children. Lancet. 2000;356(9241):1571-1572. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(00)03130-5
5. Kelly P, Farrant B. Shaken baby syndrome in New Zealand, 2000-2002. J Paediatr Child Health. 2008;44(3):99-107. doi:10.1111/j.1440-1754.2007.01234.x
6. National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome. Annual incidence estimates of abusive head trauma in the United States. 2024. https://dontshake.org/conferences/itemlist/category/56-2024-slc
7. Adamsbaum C, Grabar S, Mejean N, Rey-Salmon C. Abusive head trauma: judicial admissions highlight violent and repetitive shaking. Pediatrics. 2010;126(3):546-555. doi:10.1542/peds.2009-3647
8. Vinchon M, Di Rocco F. Abusive head injuries in infants: from founders to denialism and beyond. Childs Nerv Syst. 2022;38(12):2275-2280. doi:10.1007/s00381-022-05671-9

9. Sztuba K, Rutkowski W, Gajdzińska N, et al. Shaken to the core: Understanding the impact of infant trauma. Qual Sport. 2024;25:54729-5472.
10. Brennan LK, Rubin D, Christian CW, Duhaime AC, Mirchandani HG, Rorke-Adams LB. Neck injuries in young pediatric homicide victims. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2009;3(3):232-239. doi:10.3171/2008.11.PEDS0835
11. Muller I, Ghio D, Mobey J, et al. Parental perceptions and experiences of infant crying: A systematic review and synthesis of qualitative research. J Adv Nurs. 2023;79(2):403-417. doi:10.1111/jan.15492
12. Bornstein MH, Bradley RH. Socioeconomic status, parenting, and child development. Routledge; 2014. doi:10.4324/9781410607027
13. Darling N, Steinberg L. Parenting style as context: an integrative model. Psychol Bull. 1993;113(3):487-496.
14. Kağıtçıbaşı Ç. Yeni insan ve insanlar: Kültürel psikolojiye giriş. İstanbul: Evrim Yayınları; 2000.
15. Bowlby J. A secure base: parent-child attachment and healthy human development. New York: Basic Books; 1988.
16. Lansford JE, Malone PS, Dodge KA, Crozier JC, Pettit GS. Social desirability bias in reports of parenting by parents in nine countries. Cross-Cult Res. 2015;49(1):32-35. doi:10.1177/1069397114552781
17. Botha E, Joronen K, Kaunonen M. The consequences of having an excessively crying infant in the family: an integrative literature review. Scand J Caring Sci. 2019;33(4):779-790. doi:10.1111/scs.12702
18. McQuillan ME, Bates JE, Staples AD, Deater-Deckard K. Maternal stress, sleep, and parenting. J Fam Psychol. 2019;33(3):349-359. doi:10.1037/fam0000516
19. Bani-Ahmed AA. Parental awareness regarding shaken baby syndrome and associated factors in Jordan. Jordan Journal of Nursing Research. 2023;2(4):279-288. doi:10.14525/JJNR.v2i4.05
20. AlOmran HI, AlKharaan ZI, AlDawsari KM, AlDakkan OZ, AlAtif HM, Mohamed MZE. Parental awareness, knowledge, and attitude about shaken baby syndrome in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study. Pan Afr Med J. 2022;41(1).
21. Berthold O, Clemens V, Witt A, et al. Awareness of abusive head trauma in a German population-based sample: implications for prevention. Pediatr Res. 2019;86(4):537-541. doi:10.1038/s41390-019-0467-8
22. Marcinkowska U, Tyrała K, Paniczek M, et al. Evaluation of knowledge regarding shaken baby syndrome among parents and medical staff. Minerva Pediatr (Torino). 2021;73(1):35-41. doi:10.23736/S2724-5276.16.04522-9
23. Taşar MA. The effect of a shaken baby syndrome prevention program implemented in two hospitals in Ankara on mothers’ knowledge and attitudes [master’s thesis]. Ankara: Gazi University, Institute of Health Sciences; 2011.
24. Alyami F, Almarhoon A, Alzahrani R, et al. Awareness, attitudes, and practices towards shaken baby syndrome among mothers in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study. Cureus. 2024;16(1):e54038. doi:10.7759/cureus.54038
25. Laurent-Vannier A. Shaken baby syndrome (SBS) or pediatric abusive head trauma from shaking: guidelines for interventions during the perinatal period from the French National College of Midwives. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2022;67(Suppl1):S93-S98. doi:10.1111/jmwh.13427
26. Fujiwara T, Isumi A, Sampei M, Yamada F, Miyazaki Y. Effectiveness of using an educational video simulating the anatomical mechanism of shaking and smothering in a home-visit program to prevent self-reported infant abuse: A population-based quasi-experimental study in Japan. Child Abuse Negl. 2020;101:104359.
27. Barr RG, Barr M, Rajabali F, et al. Eight-year outcome of implementation of abusive head trauma prevention. Child Abuse Negl. 2018;84:106-114. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.07.004
28. Shaker NZ, Muhammad MA, Aziz GK. Knowledge of Shaken Baby Syndrome among Hospital Nurses in Erbil City. Erbil J Nurs Midwifery. 2021;4(1):15-22.
29. Fraser JA, Flemington T, Doan TND, Hoang MTV, Doan TLB, Ha MT. Prevention and recognition of abusive head trauma: training for healthcare professionals in Vietnam. Acta Paediatr. 2017;106(10):1608-1616. doi:10.1111/apa.13977
30. Koné M. La nécessaire prévention du syndrome du bébé secoué [The need to prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome]. Soins Pediatr Pueric. 2021;42(322):32-34. doi:10.1016/j.spp.2021.07.010

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Neurology and Neuromuscular Diseases

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Ünal Akça
0000-0001-5480-1805
Türkiye

Kevser Bacacı
0009-0009-4303-8627
Türkiye

Gülfer Akça
Türkiye

Publication Date

March 12, 2026

Submission Date

June 13, 2025

Acceptance Date

July 21, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 6 Number: 1

DOI

https://doi.org/10.66235/kumj.1901649

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA65XX35XZ

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Akça, Ü., Bacacı, K., & Akça, G. (2026). Parental awareness, beliefs, and practices regarding shaken baby syndrome: A cross-sectional study. Kastamonu Medical Journal, 6(1), 8-16. https://doi.org/10.66235/kumj.1901649

AMA

1.Akça Ü, Bacacı K, Akça G. Parental awareness, beliefs, and practices regarding shaken baby syndrome: A cross-sectional study. Kastamonu Medical Journal. 2026;6(1):8-16. doi:10.66235/kumj.1901649

Chicago

Akça, Ünal, Kevser Bacacı, and Gülfer Akça. 2026. “Parental Awareness, Beliefs, and Practices Regarding Shaken Baby Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study”. Kastamonu Medical Journal 6 (1): 8-16. https://doi.org/10.66235/kumj.1901649.

EndNote

Akça Ü, Bacacı K, Akça G (March 1, 2026) Parental awareness, beliefs, and practices regarding shaken baby syndrome: A cross-sectional study. Kastamonu Medical Journal 6 1 8–16.

IEEE

[1]Ü. Akça, K. Bacacı, and G. Akça, “Parental awareness, beliefs, and practices regarding shaken baby syndrome: A cross-sectional study”, Kastamonu Medical Journal, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 8–16, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.66235/kumj.1901649.

ISNAD

Akça, Ünal - Bacacı, Kevser - Akça, Gülfer. “Parental Awareness, Beliefs, and Practices Regarding Shaken Baby Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study”. Kastamonu Medical Journal 6/1 (March 1, 2026): 8-16. https://doi.org/10.66235/kumj.1901649.

JAMA

1.Akça Ü, Bacacı K, Akça G. Parental awareness, beliefs, and practices regarding shaken baby syndrome: A cross-sectional study. Kastamonu Medical Journal. 2026;6:8–16.

MLA

Akça, Ünal, et al. “Parental Awareness, Beliefs, and Practices Regarding Shaken Baby Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study”. Kastamonu Medical Journal, vol. 6, no. 1, Mar. 2026, pp. 8-16, doi:10.66235/kumj.1901649.

Vancouver

1.Ünal Akça, Kevser Bacacı, Gülfer Akça. Parental awareness, beliefs, and practices regarding shaken baby syndrome: A cross-sectional study. Kastamonu Medical Journal. 2026 Mar. 1;6(1):8-16. doi:10.66235/kumj.1901649