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Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention Program |
Legislative AdvocacyPrevent Child Abuse Iowa's 2009 Legislative Agenda
Prevent Child Abuse Iowa asks the Iowa Legislature to enact and fund a statewide program to prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) incidents. This program would address the leading cause of young child homicides in Iowa and save hundreds of thousands of dollars in treatment and remediation costs.
SBS describes a constellation of signs and symptoms resulting from the violent shaking or slamming of an infant or small child. The very youngest children are most likely to be severely injured or killed in an SBS incident because their heads are disproportionately heavy, with neck muscles too weak to support them. The brains of very young children are immature and more easily injured by shaking because the blood vessels around their brains are more susceptible to tearing.
Whether death or severe injury results from an SBS incident depends on the amount and duration of the shaking and the forces involved in any impact of the head. As to fatalities, Iowa's Child Death Review Team has determined that, from 1995 to 2007, 49 of the 112 young child homicide victims died from being shaken and/or slammed. This was by far the leading cause of young child homicides, exceeding that of the next nine known causes of death combined.
Many infants or toddlers who survive SBS incidents suffer long-term health consequences, which may include cognitive, visual, and physical disabilities; speech or hearing impairments; seizures; and behavior disorders. Hospital officials have estimated that more than three dozen Iowa children annually suffer serious and potentially long-term injuries from SBS, often costing more than $100,000 for short- and long-term care.
In its most recent Report to the Legislature, the Iowa Child Death Review Team recommends that the Legislature pass a statewide SBS prevention program. In support of this recommendation, the team declares that, "Shaken baby syndrome deserves special attention due to its devastating effects. The abuse causes the deaths of children every year. Survivors require intensive and expensive care, instead of the healthy lives they should have led."
Proposed Legislation. Prevent Child Abuse Iowa seeks legislation to establish a comprehensive plan to prevent parents and other caretakers from vigorously shaking very young children. Under this plan, caregivers may receive instruction and support from a wide range of professionals, including hospital and other medical facility staff, parent educators, home visitors, child care providers, visiting nurses, teachers, and youth service workers.
This new program will utilize, to the maximum extent possible, existing service delivery systems and educational resources. Nonetheless, some funding will be needed for program implementation in state fiscal year 2010 and in succeeding years.
The legislature should enact and fund a statewide Shaken Baby Syndrome prevention program. |
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For general comments and questions, please contact: Prevent Child Abuse Iowa
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