Why You Must Never Shake Your Baby!

Never attempt to shake your baby out of frustration or in an attempt to “shake your baby out of crying”. The blood vessels in a baby’s head cannot tolerate the impact of shaking and can break. When this happens, it is known as “Shaken Baby Syndrome”. The condition, though 100% preventable, can lead to death, brain damage, mental retardation, seizures, or blindness. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that about 1000 children, in the US alone, die every year  from the syndrome.

Whenever you feel you are at the end of your rope, it is always advisable to ask for help or take a break and let other family members take over. To overcome the temptation of comparing your baby with other babies, understand that every baby is different. Be patient with your baby, the phase will soon be over.

When an otherwise healthy and well-fed infant, usually between 2 weeks  and 4 months , cries for more than 3 hours a day or more than 3 days a week, for more than 3 weeks, for no apparent reason, the baby is said to be colicky. For Tips on Providing Relief to Colicky Babies, Check out our post on “Healthy, Well-fed But Yet Crying? How To Soothe & Provide Relief To Your Newborn!”