shaken baby syndrome

I will never condone hurting a child because of a tired mother's inability to respond to a child. But as a mother, I also know how hard it can be. Not all mothers have the easy baby that actually sleeps all night or takes their naps when they're supposed to. Not all mothers have the baby that never cries and is a joy to be around. Some mother's have children that scream bloddy murder 10 hours a day without a break. What this world needs is people that are more willing to help those mothers and give them breaks. I don't think those mothers are bad people. They aren't intending to hurt their child nor would they ever want that. They are just looking for a way to make it stop without realizing what they are doing. Those mothers also need to take a step and realize they do need help. They need to have a resource that they can go to so they can feel safe and comfortable. I realize it's not our responsibility to make sure they seek help, but I think we can make it more readily available. If we see something wrong in this world, we should try to change it.

hey there.. as i mother i am horrified and appalled as well to see what our world has become into. we the parents are supposed to be the safest haven for our kids yet some people out there can vent out there frustrations on such an innocent little tiny being. i share your anger and frustrations and hurt on this matter as well..

I totally agree, it is out of hand. I don't understand why it is so acceptable. Is it the stress is higher than it used to be and we are all on the edge. It is not only this, it is all the weird and horrible things people are doing.

I find all of these stories so heartbreaking, especially baby Kaleb's because he was born just two weeks after my own baby boy. I also understand how frustrating it can be especially when no one else is around to help get a break from it yet I don't understand because it is so easy to put the baby in the crib and walk away for a few minutes. Leaving a baby crying may not seem like the best thing to do but a baby has never been severely injured or killed by crying. Sometimes I wonder if the reason it has been happening more is because it is also talked about more. There are sadly people in this world that never should have been parents in the first place. When they were in the hospital they were told to never shake their baby because it could kill it. They get home and realize that taking care of a baby is just too hard for them so they shake it, knowing full well that the baby could die and they will likely get a light sentence by claiming mental illness caused them to do it. Sick isn't it but I'd be willing to bet it happens. I think the Safe Haven laws should be extended to at least six months better yet a full year from the child's birth. The most common times (it seems) that babies are shaken are long after the one month limit of the Safe Haven laws, when they get colicky, start teething, are ill, and become mobile enough to get into things. If you think about it the first month is usually pretty easy in comparison. Also the anger it takes to shake and kill a baby is most often the kind that has built up over time...several months of crying and no sleep, not just a few weeks.