Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma Prevention Programs for Healthcare Providers
A baby brings an unlimited amount of love, joy and happiness into a new parent’s life. Unfortunately, a baby can also bring a lot of stress. As healthcare providers you need to talk with parents about the stress of a newborn, and what to do at 2:30am when the baby has been crying non-stop for hours and they have tried everything and nothing works. New parents often lack the skills to quiet a crying infant and often need to hear from a trusted healthcare provider how to safely care for a crying infant, and that it is ok to put the baby down and walk away.
Dr. Karyn Patno, Clinical Director of the Child Protection Program of Vermont, Laura Murphy, MD and Ann Shangraw, of Prevent Child Abuse Vermont provide free materials and training for pediatricians.
Our hospital program is modeled after the Dr. Mark Dias study which provides the first firm evidence that a comprehensive program of hospital-based, parent education at the time of a child’s birth can effectively reduce the incidence of infant abusive head injuries
HOSPITAL-BASED Training for Birthing Center Nurses
This guidance will center on infant crying and how to cope. Birthing Center nurses will receive free materials and a video to counsel parents on Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention and Safe Sleep, and the negative causes and outcomes associated with unsafe sleep practices. Nurses will have the opportunity to view the parent pledge form, ask questions, and voice any concerns they may have.
OFFICE-BASED Training for Primary Care Providers
This training will help primary care providers recognize risk factors for Abusive Head Trauma; train primary care providers on doing effective anticipatory guidance around the issue of infant crying; offer suggestions on how to document their efforts on the medical record; and give primary care providers resources for referral. The training will follow the anticipatory guidelines outlined in Bright Futures.
Trainings for students, parents, caregivers, grandparents, and community members are also offered.
To schedule a training, please contact Ann Shangraw at: 802-552-4269, or ashangraw@pcavt.org.