INFANTS AT RISK - The Child Abuse Prevention Council uses a simulator baby to show how shaking motion affects a babies brain. Shaken Baby Syndrome is the number one form of child abuse death in America.

It's a terrible truth. Babies in our community have died at the hands of their parents.

Shaken Baby Syndrome oftens starts with an infant crying. The baby won't stop, and their caretakers don't know what to do. The longer the baby cries, the more helpless the caretaker feels - until they snap - shaking the baby violently.

There have been two infant deaths from Shaken Baby Syndrome in Anderson in the past three years. An arrest has just been made in the death of an infant from 1993. And earlier this year, a man was charged in a child abuse case involving Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Anderson Police Officer Regina Collier has investigated multiple cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome, including the latest arrest in the 1993 cold case.

Collier said these cases are especially hard, not only for the investigating agencies, but for the community as a whole.

"Anytime that a child dies, it's upsetting. The community is effected. The parents are effected. Grandparents are effected, brothers, sisters — every one is effected by it," Collier said.

Shaken Baby Syndrome is the number one form of child abuse deaths in America.

"It's not healthy for anyone to be shaken, but for a baby it's a much greater risk because they are so vulnerable," said Christy Russell, of the Child Abuse Prevention Council.

"They have large heads compared to their body, they have very fragile neck muscles and their brain is still developing," she said.

The brain has a consistency of gelatin and the shaking motion causes the brain to tear, swell and bleed. Many babies who fall victim to Shaken Baby Syndrome endure torn retinas and bleeding behind the eyes.

"Shaken baby syndrome is usually a serious, longlasting and has permanent side effects," said Stewart Jankowitz, Shasta County Deputy disrict attorney who also has experiences with shaken baby cases.

Babies who survive being shaken can have problems such as seizures, mental retardation, impaired vision or blindness, behavior problems, or developmental delays and may need care for the rest of their life. Behavior or learning problems related to being shaken may not be noticed until the child enters school.

Local officials said caretakers need to know when to say when - when to set the child in a safe place and leave the room for a moment, when to call a friend, when to count to ten and other techniques to relieve the stress of a child crying.

"A lot of people get frustrated when young children cry continuely. Hopefully the vast majority would never think of shaking them in frustration or rage, but there are some people who succumb to that frustration," Jankowitz said.

The Child Abuse Prevention Council in Redding is part of a region-wide campaign to prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome. They are offering free one-hour classes they've dubbed ‘train-the-trainer' for staff in fields such as public health, mental health, childcare, schools etc. Those who take this class can then pass on their knowledge through trainings to community members.

"Shaken Baby Syndrome is almost always triggered by inconsolable crying. It could be caused by a baby-sitter, a parent, a boyfriend or girlfriend of the parent, male or female, any age," said Christy Russell, of the Child Abuse Prevention Council. "That's why some of our training involves some of the reasons why babies cry, and provides soothing techniques. But we also share that sometimes, even when a baby is soothed, that still may not completely stop the crying," Russell said.

Officer Collier said helping out new parents could be a way to help prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome.

"The best thing to do if you are a citizen in the community and you know someone who has just had a child, offer whatever assistance you can," Collier said. "Because it is such a big responsibility. There are people who can't handle that responsibility and these things happen."

When a child dies from Shaken Baby Syndrome, it effects their families for the rest of their lives.

In some cases, the parent who did not commit the crime has not only lost their child, they have also lost their significant other, Collier said.

"It's such a loss, and it's such a grieving process. They don't know what to do, and they don't know what to believe," officer Collier said. "In almost every case, they are just devastated. They don't even have words to describe how they feel."

Healthcare and childcare organizations interested in attending free trainings to prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome, or for more information, call the Child Abuse Prevention Council at (530) 241-5816.