In Alaska, Detective testifies in hearing against accused murderer | Shaken Baby Syndrome

Four-month-old Rian Orr reportedly woke up “fine and happy” for her early morning feeding on Aug. 9, 2010, according to the testimony of the lead Juneau police detective who investigated the infant’s death.

It was only after David J. Paul reportedly took the baby to the bathroom to make her a bottle, where he later admitted accidently dropping her on her head and shaking her, that Orr started to become fussy, said Det. Kim Horn.

“Jackie said the baby woke up fine and happy, and then David took the baby to the bathroom to make a bottle, and then had come back to change the diaper and the baby had been fussy from that point on,” Horn said from the stand.

She reportedly wouldn’t feed during her 9 a.m. feeding. She then began tensing up, then seizing. She was taken to Bartlett Regional Hospital around 11 a.m. and died a week later at Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center on Aug. 15.

Horn was reportedly once again called into Juneau Superior Court on Thursday to testify in the murder case against 23-year-old David Paul, who is accused of killing girlfriend Jacqueline M. Orr’s baby.

The King County Medical State Examiner in Seattle ruled Orr’s death a homicide from blunt force injury, with a soft object to the head. Doctors also found older injuries (multiple rib fractures, a femur fracture and bruising on her chest).

Prosecutors reportedly argue Paul caused the head injury by either dropping the baby, or by shaking her, and the bruises from gripping her too tightly.

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If you have any questions or concerns about what can be done to help babies who have been shaken, or families of babies who have died, please call Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm toll-free for free consultation at (888) 592-5437 (KIDS), click on contact us here, or use the web form provided at http://www.keanelaw.com

In Nevada, Local Family Raises Awareness of Shaken Baby Syndrome | Shaken Baby Syndrome

 It’s Mother’s Day weekend, but instead of relaxing one local mother is working to help families who are facing the challenges of shaken baby syndrome.

Aiden Jacot laughs like any normal child, but two years ago today he was shaken by a babysitter. His father, Robert, was called to pick him up from daycare.

“I saw him sitting there on the floor, just lethargic and helpless,” Robert Jacot said. “I ran over to him and fell to my knees, and I knew right away something was terribly wrong with him.”

Aiden’s mother Bonnie reportedly said she was totally devastated. “I couldn't even comprehend how someone could do such a thing,” she said. “I still can't comprehend how somebody could do that.”

Aiden reportedly turns three this summer, but because of his traumatic brain injury he’s different from other three-year-olds. 

“He's incapable of taking care of himself,” Robert said. “We have to feed him through a g-tube in his belly button. We have to make sure that he's turned, and he has therapy every day.“

Aiden is also reportedly blind and still wears a diaper, but instead of focusing on the negative, the Jacots are using their experience to help other families facing shaken baby syndrome.

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If you have any questions or concerns about what can be done to help babies who have been shaken, or families of babies who have died, please call Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm toll-free for free consultation at (888) 592-5437 (KIDS), click on contact us here, or use the web form provided at http://www.keanelaw.com

In Illinois, Police, DCFS investigate death of baby hurt at daycare | Shaken Baby Syndrome

Hoffman Estates Police and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services are reportedly investigating the death of a 4-month-old girl who died Saturday, possibly from shaken baby syndrome.

The baby girl, Anna Belle Chung, of Mount Prospect, reportedly suffered injuries at a home-based day-care center in Hoffman Estates and died three days later, said the medical examiner’s office.

The unidentified person reportedly being investigated for possible child abuse in Chung’s death was also investigated by DCFS for unrelated child abuse allegations in May 2010 that were later determined to be unfounded, said agency spokesman Jimmie Whitelow.

The girl’s parents reportedly are not the focus of the investigation, Whitelow said.

The day-care center reportedly looks like just another single family home on Crimson Drive in Hoffman Estates. But a look through the front window makes it clear the home has been set up to be a day-care center, with small chairs and tables, play stations and toys lining the wall, cribs in the dining room. The front landing is covered with chalk drawings of trains and other images.

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If you have any questions or concerns about what can be done to help babies who have been shaken, or families of babies who have died, please call Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm toll-free for free consultation at (888) 592-5437 (KIDS), click on contact us here, or use the web form provided at http://www.keanelaw.com

In Maine, Child abuse experts: How to cope with crying | Shaken Baby Syndrome

*Excerpt taken from article published here*

The court documents describing two month-old Ethan Henderson's injuries describe a father who became overwhelmed with his screaming baby, and lost control.

The documents state that Gordon Collins-Faunce called 911 and reported that his baby was having trouble breathing. Ethan was then taken by ambulance to the hospital. Collins-Faunce originally told police that he found Ethan in his crib struggling to breathe. But over the course of that day and the next, his story changed. He eventually admitted that Ethan was crying, so he picked the baby up by his head, squeezed, and then threw him into a chair. He told police he was feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. Collins-Faunce also told police he suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome from suffering abuse as a child, and he often forgets to take his medication. Kids Free To Grow Executive Director Laurie DuPaul says cases like this are always preventable. She says parents who are feeling overwhelmed should reach out for help, and that we as a community need to start talking about these kinds of issues so that new parents don't feel like they are alone.

"Child abuse is something no one wants to talk about," DuPaul said. "I heard it recently spoken of as a dirty little secret. Everyone knows someone who has been abused or they've been abused themselves but no one wants to talk about it. It's something that needs to be talked about because it is preventable. Child abuse does not have to happen."

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If you have any questions or concerns about what can be done to help babies who have been shaken, or families of babies who have died, please call Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm toll-free for free consultation at (888) 592-5437 (KIDS), click on contact us here, or use the web form provided at http://www.keanelaw.com

In Oklahoma, New commercials help parents deal with crying baby | Shaken Baby Syndrome

Three seconds of shaking is all it takes to end or drastically alter a baby's life.

That's the message behind a new commercial campaign by the Parent Child Center in an effort to expand its Never Shake a Baby program.

"Really, you never want to shake a baby. Three seconds is the catalyst for when a lot of damage is done," said Matthew Eber, spokesman for the Parent Child Center.

One commercial portrays a young girl expressing regret for shaking her little sister to death and the other has a father expressing similar regret over shaking his daughter. Both are set in a surreal, nightmarish backdrop.

"We wanted to show something visual and regret is a common feeling," Eber said. "A lot of times when someone shakes a baby it's during a moment of stress, someone snaps. It's 4 a.m. and the baby hasn't stopped crying. We want to get it in their heads, so when they're stressed and tired they remember that something that simple can kill a baby."

The commercial campaign is in addition to the Never Shake a Baby program the Parent Child Center offers to new families in area hospitals about what to do when babies won't stop crying.

In 2011, the Never Shake a Baby hospital visitation program was presented to 2,228 birth mothers, 1,088 fathers and 706 other people, all representing 2,249 babies.

"We partnered with the Sarkey's Foundation to do a statewide public awareness campaign to put it in the back of everyone's head to never shake a baby," Eber said.

According to the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, abusive head trauma, which includes shaken baby syndrome, is the leading cause of non-accidental child death and near death in Oklahoma.

"Every parent I know has experienced moments when they feel completely at a loss as to how to calm their crying baby. When you're exhausted and frustrated, that situation can escalate and you can overreact. It only takes three to five seconds to do irreparable harm by shaking a baby," said Desiree Doherty, PCCT executive director. "With the help of community partners, like the Sarkey's Foundation, we can educate more parents of newborns about the dangers of shaking a baby and how to prevent it. The key is to understand crying as normal infant behavior and calming yourself while trying a variety of safe-for-baby soothing techniques."

For more information and to view the commercials, go online to tulsaworld.com/3seconds

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If you have any questions or concerns about what can be done to help babies who have been shaken, or families of babies who have died, please call Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm toll-free for free consultation at (888) 592-5437 (KIDS), click on contact us here, or use the web form provided at http://www.keanelaw.com

In Texas, Grandmothers gather for 'Baby 101' | Shaken Baby Syndrome

Seven grandmothers gathered together for Medical Center Hospital’s inaugural “grandmother tea”, where they learned about the most recent baby feeding practices and safety information.

“Who else besides the father of the baby is a big influence in the mom’s life?” MCH nurse and lactation consultant Marla Renfro asked the class rhetorically, explaining why they were reaching out to grandmothers.

One family even sent out two generations of women, since grandmother-to-be Melody Gilbert brought along her own mother Janice Boyles.

“I want to be a support to my daughter-in-law,” Gilbert said.

She said her grandson Grey is due May 29th.

While Gilbert said she raised three children, things have changed and she wanted the most up-to-date information.

Boyles said that when she raised Gilbert she wrapped her loosely in a baby blanket, while Gilbert said she remembered swaddling, or snugly wrapping a baby, being popular when she was having children.

“That’s something new for me to learn,” Boyles said.

The sessions started off talking about the benefits of breast feeding, and while that’s something only a mother can do, Renfro and her colleague Candy Powell explained that grandmothers could provide accurate breastfeeding information to new mothers.

And while Renfro mentioned the swaddling trend, she said that the most recent research said that skin-to-skin contact between the mother and the baby is most beneficial.

Powell and Renfro also discussed Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

SIDS, sometimes called “crib death”, is the unexplained death of an apparently healthy baby typically while he or she is asleep, according to the Mayo Clinic website.

Parents can reduce risks by placing the baby on his or her back on a firm crib mattress that’s covered by a fitted sheet, according to the Mayo Clinic.

“(Moms) have issues because grandma wants to put the baby on the tummy,” Powell said, explaining that sometimes grandmothers aren’t aware of the risks of SIDS.

Additionally, they touched on Shaken Baby Syndrome and provided grandmothers with informational pamphlets on car seats and basic baby safety.


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If you have any questions or concerns about what can be done to help babies who have been shaken, or families of babies who have died, please call Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm toll-free for free consultation at (888) 592-5437 (KIDS), click on contact us here, or use the web form provided at http://www.keanelaw.com

In Arizona, Indictment in shaken-baby case | Shaken Baby Syndrome

A grand jury reportedly indicted 23-year-old Kevin Lester Reed on Thursday on one count of child abuse after he was arrested on charges of shaking his 20-day-old son last week.

The child reportedly suffered internal bleeding in his head as a result of "shaken baby syndrome," according to a police report. The baby stopped breathing and needed a tube for oxygen.

It was Reed's first day home alone after the boy's mother went back to work, according to a police report. He also was watching his 17-month-old son.

An officer was reportedly called to the hospital by medical personnel after the infant stopped breathing in the emergency department. The doctor immediately diagnosed the child with shaken baby syndrome.

"(The doctor) stated there is no doubt in his mind that (the boy) was shaken violently," a police report stated.

A police officer reportedly sent the mother in with the baby and started interviewing Reed. At first, he maintained that the child had stopped breathing at home and he had shaken the baby in a circle to try and put air into the lungs. The officer told Reed that such a motion would not have caused the type of injuries his son had sustained.

Under pressure, Reed reportedly admitted that he had gotten frustrated with the child's crying and jerked him back and forth twice in anger.

"I got pissed off because they were both crying and wanted my attention," Reed reportedly told an investigate

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If you have any questions or concerns about what can be done to help babies who have been shaken, or families of babies who have died, please call Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm toll-free for free consultation at (888) 592-5437 (KIDS), click on contact us here, or use the web form provided at http://www.keanelaw.com