By Sara Goldstein

Caretakers and parents who have become frustrated with a crying baby may shake them violently in an effort to silence them. The shaking does quiet the crying child by damaging his brain. Children living in poverty are the victims of shaken baby syndrome more often than those not living at the poverty level. Male caretakers are estimated to be the perpetrators of shaken baby syndrome between 60-90% of the time, and over 60% of the victims of shaken baby syndrome are male infants.

Shaken baby syndrome typically affects children under one year of age due to their underdeveloped brain structure, but cases have been reported in children up to four years of age. Babies who survive being shaken often develop symptoms that last a lifetime including seizures, blindness, hearing loss, cognitive dysfunction, paralysis and mental retardation.

How Does Shaking Damage the Infants Brain?

When adults shake their infant, the infants still-undeveloped brain is moved about violently. Since their little necks do not have muscles developed enough to stabilize their own heads, the brain shakes within the skull causing torn brain tissue and ruptured blood vessels. The shaking, in turn, causes swelling in the brain; the swollen tissue constricts blood flow to the childs brain, preventing its development and contributing to blood clots.

Shaken babies often stop crying as the shaking progresses and the brain damage becomes more severe. The degree of the traumatic brain injury caused by the shaking depends on the severity and repetition of the shaking. Some signs of shaken baby syndrome are lethargy, inability to lift the head and focus the eyes, lack of vocalization, decreased appetite and lack of smiling. Because parents and caretakers know they are the cause of these symptoms, they often will not take the children to the hospital for fear of criminal charges being placed against them.

There are ways to prevent shaken baby syndrome. Parenting classes and stress relief techniques can help minimize the frustration felt by the parent. It is appropriate to play with a baby safely and jiggle your infant on your knee in a soft, playful way; however, shaking a baby in anger will cause brain damage that could last a lifetime.

If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury, please contact us to speak with an experienced Brain Injury Lawyer in your area.

By Sue Perkins

Parents of children with ADHD often blame themselves for it. But studies show little evidence that ADHD is caused by social factors or child-rearing methods, indicating instead that genetics and neurobiology are to blame. Environmental factors do not give rise to ADHD completely, but only influence the situation and level of impairment the person may experience.

There are six possible causes of ADHD-like behavior: learning disability, a sudden change in the child's life like loss of loved one, seizures, hearing difficulty, brain dysfunction, and anxiety.

There are four major causes of ADHD, namely, environmental agents, brain injury, food additives and sugar, and genetics. Studies show that environmental agents such as alcohol and cigarettes are risk factors for ADHD. Health professionals recommend that it is best to avoid both cigarettes and alcohol during pregnancy. Recent studies also link smoking and other substance abuse for the duration of pregnancy to the disorder.

Early studies show that attention disorders were caused by brain injury. Children who show some signs of ADHD are most likely the ones who suffered from brain injury.

It has been suggested that food additives and sugar cause attention disorders, too. But recent studies have shown that there are no considerable effects of sugar on the behavior or learning of children.

Attention disorders are often hereditary, passing from generation to generation. Attention disorders are likely due to the genetic makeup of an individual. This is the most scientific basis as to the cause of ADHD. Studies show that attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is more common in children who have close relatives with the disorder.

Health professionals know that ADHD is caused by a weakness in how the brain utilizes chemicals called neurotransmitters. These chemicals assist in sending messages between nerve cells in the brain. Children with ADHD do not make enough chemicals in key areas in the brain which are responsible for organizing one's thoughts. Without enough of these chemicals, the organizing centers of the brain don't perform well.

When ADHD is diagnosed early on, it is easier to build up strategies and coping methods that can minimize its effects. If the child is not diagnosed early, parents and teachers may become frustrated and even angry at the child's behavior. The child himself may develop poor self-esteem over these issues, too.

There is no official test to determine ADHD, so it's crucial that parents, doctors and teachers all work together to share information about the child so that he or she can be diagnosed correctly.

Scientists and specialists are looking for further evidences that can support that ADHD does not branch from the home environment, but from scientific causes such as genetics and neurobiology. Knowing the true causes of ADHD can lessen a parent's feeling of guilt for the condition.Sue Perkins has an interest in ADHD. For further information on ADHD please visit ADHD or ADHD Symptoms .

Sue Perkins has an interest in ADHD. For further information on ADHD please visit ADHD or ADHD Symptoms .