Children and babies are susceptible to many types of accidents and injuries. When a baby dies suddenly from severe brain damage, suspicions quickly arise that the baby was shaken by a parent or caretaker. Diagnosing Shaken Baby Syndrome has become controversial due to inaccuracies, and infant death can be the result of many things aside from abuse. A recent case involving a caretaker pleading guilty to second-degree murder and getting sentenced to 14 years in prison for shaking a baby to death illustrates just how serious this can be. If grieving parents are placed under investigation and facing charges, a dedicated Chicago, IL criminal defense lawyer can represent them and aggressively defend their rights.
Diagnosing Shaken Baby Syndrome
Shaken baby syndrome (SBS) can develop when someone engages in serious child abuse by shaking, throwing, or dropping a baby. Babies’ brains are not yet fully developed and are smaller than their heads. Their neck muscles are also unable to fully support their heads. That is why shaking a baby can lead to blindness, deafness, developmental delays, learning disabilities, paralysis, seizures, and death.