Never shake a baby under any circumstances.

Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) results from the violent shaking of an infant or toddler. SBS is the second most common cause of children's death due to trauma and is responsible for 95 percent of serious head injuries in children under one year of age.

All it takes is three seconds of shaking a young child to cause lifelong damage - and sometimes death. A one-time violent episode can cause partial or complete loss of vision, hearing impairment, a fractured skull, broken bones, seizure disorders and learning disabilities.

SBS usually occurs when a parent or other caregiver shakes a child out of anger or frustration, often because the child will not stop crying. Clearly SBS is preventable. By educating all parents and caregivers as to the dangers of shaking, and providing strategies for coping with a crying infant, we may be able to reduce the incidence of such a devastating injury.

For more information on Shaken Baby Syndrome, visit the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome.