Personal Injury Law

Assembly Approves Bill to Educate Parents on Shaken Baby Syndrome

By Bruce Stern

On February 5, 2009 the Assembly voted 77-0 to approve legislation Assemblyman Louis D. Greenwald and (now former) Assemblyman Douglas H. Fisher sponsored to require the state include information about Shaken Baby Syndrome to new parents.

According to the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome, 1,200 to 1,400 children nationwide annually receive medical treatment for injuries attributed to being violently shaken by a caregiver.

Nearly 30 percent of those injuries prove fatal, and about 80 percent of survivors incur lifelong brain injuries that can lead to learning and physical disabilities, blindness, hearing and speech disabilities, cerebral palsy and behavior disorders.

The legislation (A725) would require the state to include information on Shaken Baby Syndrome in the resource guide it provides to new parents. The guide also would be published in Spanish. A health care professional would be required to review information in the guide with new parents as part of the discharge procedure. The bill now goes to the Senate for further consideration.

Full post as published by Traumatic Brain Injury Law Blog on April 10, 2009 (boomark / email).