The information in this program outline is provided by the program representative and edited by the CEBC staff. The The Upstate New York Shaken Baby Syndrome Education Program (SBS) program has been rated by the CEBC in the area of: Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (Secondary).

• Type of Maltreatment: Physical Abuse
• Target Population: Mothers, fathers, or father figures.

The Upstate New York SBS Education Program is a research study begun in December 1998 with the purpose of educating both parents of all infants about the dangers of violent infant shaking. The premise was that parents needed to be reminded at the correct time and, if educated, could be effective advocates in disseminating this information to all who care for their child. The parents receive both written and video materials about SBS before leaving the hospital. Both parents are then asked to voluntarily sign a commitment statement affirming their receipt and understanding of this material; these commitment statements are returned and tracked by the investigators. The Upstate New York SBS Education Program formed a partnership with the pediatric care providers. Additional educational materials are provided at the first doctor's office visit. The program has demonstrated a sustained and consistent reduction of over 50% in incidence of SBS.

Five Essential components as related to New York law:

1. Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) education must be given to parents of all infants born in New York.
2. SBS information must be presented at the time of the baby’s birth and be given separate from other education.
3. Materials should be easy to understand and be available in multiple languages.
4. Education must be provided free-of-charge to the patient.
5. Commitment statement is to be discussed prior to hospital discharge.

Seven key elements:

1. Occurs in a hospital and delivered by healthcare professionals.
2. Is universal (primary prevention effort).
3. Occurs in a Consistent time frame (perinatal period).
4. Targets both parents, but especially fathers/father figures since these account for over half of the perpetrators.
5. Provides education in verbal, written, and video formats.
6. Provides information separately from other education and parents participate during hospital stay (not taken home).
7. Affirms parent participation by having them voluntarily sign a commitment statement.

The Upstate New York Shaken Baby Syndrome Education Program (SBS) was not designed with a child component.

The Upstate New York Shaken Baby Syndrome Education Program (SBS) was designed with a parent/caregiver component that addresses the following presenting problems and symptoms:

• Parents of newborns.

The Upstate New York Shaken Baby Syndrome Education Program (SBS) was not designed to be conducted in a group setting, and has not been tested for use in a group setting.

Recommended Intensity:

One contact with parents by the RN in the maternity unit. Parents see video, receive brochure on Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS), and discuss material just seen with the RN so she/he can answer any questions about SBS. This contact lasts an average of 15 minutes per family. The nurse does not, however, need to be present during parents' viewing of the 8-minute video.

Recommended Duration:

Typically one contact.

This program is typically conducted in a(n):

• Hospital

This program does not include a homework component.

The Upstate New York Shaken Baby Syndrome Education Program (SBS) has materials available in a language other than English:

Spanish

For information on which materials are available in this language, please check on the program's website or contact the program representative (contact information is listed at the bottom of this page).

The typical resources for implementing the program are:

• Nurse coordinators for the program to educate hospital nursing staff via a Power Point presentation, which is given on site
• educational video presentation on Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS), shown at time of hospital staff in-service
• and educational brochures on SBS from the Department of Health and the Pennsylvania American Academy of Pediatrics

Strongly recommended that registered nurses or nursing educators deliver program.

There is not a manual that describes how to implement this program; but there is training available for this program.

Training is obtained:

Provided on site or regional setting as requested. Contact hours available from Pennsylvania Nurses Association for registered nurses.

New York program training contacts:

• Kathleen DeGuehery and Kim Smith at (716) 878-7441.
• The Pennsylvania Shaken Baby Syndrome Education Program is also a very successful implementation of the upstate New York program. Training information for that program is listed here:
  • Carroll M. Rottmund RN, BSN, CCRN, CLNC
    Pennsylvania Shaken Baby Syndrome Education Program
    Penn State Milton Hershey Medical Center
    500 University Drive, Mail Code G-130, Hershey, PA 17033
    Phone: (717) 531-7498
  • Or, Kelly Cappos RN, BSN, CPUR, CLNC
    Pennsylvania Shaken Baby Syndrome Education Program
    Penn State Milton Hershey Medical Center
    500 University Drive, Mail Code G-130, Hershey, PA 17033
    Phone: 717-531-7498

Training on program implementation is available.

Number of days/hours:

One hour in-service available for registered nurses and hospital nurse managers on program implementation.

Additional Resources:

There currently are additional qualified resources for training:

• Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

This program is rated a "3 - Promising Research Evidence" on the Scientific Rating Scale based on the published, peer-reviewed research available. The practice must have at least one study utilizing some form of control (e.g., untreated group, placebo group, matched wait list study) establishing the practice's benefit over the placebo, or found it to be comparable to or better than an appropriate comparison practice. Please see the Scientific Rating Scale for more information.

Child Welfare Outcomes: Safety and Child/Family Well-Being

No reference materials are currently available for The Upstate New York Shaken Baby Syndrome Education Program (SBS).