Testing educational strategies for Shaken Baby Syndrome.

UNLABELLED Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) occurs from the violent shaking of an infant, which may lead to brain damage or death. The goal of this study was to assess educational methods used to teach new mothers about SBS. METHODS Forty six parents at a community hospital were selected and randomly divided into three groups. Group 1 received a short lesson about SBS. Group 2 received the lesson and watched a locally developed SBS video. Group 3 received the lesson and watched a true dramatization of SBS created by a national organization. Pre and post surveys were administered. RESULTS Study groups were similar in regard to age, marital status, socioeconomic status and education. Group 1 parents showed no differences in scoring. Group 2 parents showed a significant increase in defining SBS and what to do for persistent infant crying. Group 3 parents scored significantly higher in defining SBS. CONCLUSION Both video presentations improved scoring on understanding SBS but only the local video presentation increased scores in the management of persistent infant crying.