Brain injury following child maltreatment syndrome in newborns and young children. Shaken baby syndrome.

BACKGROUND

Shaken baby syndrome is widely discussed in the literature. This syndrome is considered as a variant of child maltreatment syndrome. In the English-language literature, there are data on high incidence of this syndrome and difficult diagnosis. There are no such diagnosis in the Russian and reports devoted to this issue.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the incidence and nature of injuries following child maltreatment/shaken baby syndrome in infants and young children.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We analyzed case records of 3668 patients aged 1-36 month between 2017 and 2021 with injury/suspected traumatic brain injury (TBI). Mild TBI was in 47.2% of patients, moderate and severe - in 56.8% of patients. Twenty-eight children admitted with GCS score 3-8. CT was performed in case of risk factors for intracranial injuries (1703 patients). Abnormalities were found in 71.6% of cases. Sixty-four children required surgical treatment. Overall mortality rate was 0.7%.

RESULTS

Accidental trauma was found in 3664 cases. We verified child maltreatment/shaken baby syndrome in only 4 (0.1%) cases. At the alleged moment of injury, there were male persons (cohabitant or guardian) with the child that is consistent with literature data. In all 4 cases, we observed severe combined TBI. In one case, brain damage was regarded as a result of chronic trauma. Indeed, MRI diagnosed thrombosis of bridging veins along convexital parts of the frontal, parietal and occipital lobes. There were GOS grade I in 2 patients (death), grade III in 1 patient (severe disability) and grade IV in 1 patient (recovery).

CONCLUSION

Child maltreatment/shaken baby syndrome is less common among infants and young children in the Russian Federation. This may be due to national, cultural and religious traditions. Indeed, infants and children under 3 years of age are cared for by female persons. The mechanism of injury (shaking) leads to typical multiple injuries involving various organs and systems. These damages require multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment. MRI-confirmed thrombosis of bridging veins may be an additional diagnostic sign indicating the mechanism of injury.