[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 50 (Thursday, April 27, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3039-S3041]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              NATIONAL SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME AWARENESS WEEK

  Mr. WELLSTONE. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the 
immediate consideration of S. Res. 300, introduced earlier today by 
myself.

[[Page S3040]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 300) designating the week of April 
     23-30, 2000, as ``National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness 
     Week.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a resolution 
that I will soon send to the desk to proclaim April 23-30, 2000, as 
``Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week'', and to recognize the many 
groups, particularly the Shaken Baby Alliance, who support this effort 
to increase awareness of one of the most unspeakable forms of child 
abuse, one that results in the death or lifelong disability of 
thousands of children each year.
  For the past twenty years, the current President of the United States 
has designated one month each year as National Child Abuse Prevention 
Month to increase awareness of the devastating harm done to our 
children by abuse and neglect. This year, April, 2000, is National 
Child Abuse Prevention Month, and it began with the release of a 
national survey conducted by the group, Prevent Child Abuse America. 
The survey showed that more than 50% of all Americans believe child 
abuse and neglect is the most important public health issue facing this 
country. The survey also showed that a vast majority of Americans--83 
percent--believe that child abuse prevention efforts can be most 
successful before such behavior has begun, rather than waiting until 
the abuse has occurred. These results point to the need to recognize 
child abuse and neglect as the public health problem it is, one that is 
linked with a host of other problems facing our country, including 
poverty and drug and alcohol addiction, and one that needs the 
comprehensive approach of our entire public health system to solve.
  The need for this widespread and high level concern is well-
documented. The most recent government figures show that over 1 million 
children were victims of abuse in 1997. Each day, three of these 
children die as a result of this abuse. The U.S. Advisory Board on 
Child Abuse and Neglect reported in ``A Nation's Shame: Fatal Child 
Abuse and Neglect in the United States,'' that a more realistic 
estimate of annual child deaths as a result of abuse and neglect, both 
known and unknown to Child Protective Service agencies, is closer to 
2,000, or approximately five children per day. The rate of child 
fatalities caused by abuse has risen by 37 percent between 1985 and 
1997, with children aged 3 and younger accounting for 77 percent of 
these fatalities. Because of the problems of under-reporting and errors 
in diagnoses, the National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse 
believes that the number of child deaths from maltreatment per year may 
be as high as 5,000. In most cases, the child's death is the result of 
head trauma, including the trauma known as Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS).
  Shaken Baby Syndrome results from a caregiver losing control and 
shaking a baby, usually an infant who is less than 1 year old. This 
severe shaking can kill the baby, or it can cause loss of vision, brain 
damage, paralysis, and seizures, resulting in lifelong disabilities. 
This totally preventable form of child abuse causes untold grief for 
many families whose child dies, or is left with permanent, irreparable 
brain damage. The care for the child's resulting disability is 
estimated at more than $1 million in medical costs during just the 
first few years of the baby's life.
  The most effective solution to ending Shaken Baby Syndrome is to 
prevent such abuse, and it is clear that the minimal costs of 
educational and prevention programs may help to protect our young 
children and stop this tragedy from occurring. In 1995, the U.S. 
Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect recommended a universal 
approach to the prevention of child fatalities that would reach out to 
all families through the implementation of several key strategies. Such 
efforts began by providing services such as home visitation by trained 
professionals or paraprofessionals, hospital-linked outreach to parents 
of infants and toddlers, community-based programs designed for the 
specific needs of neighborhoods, and effective public education 
campaigns.
  Child abuse prevention programs have been shown to raise awareness 
and provide critically important information about Shaken Baby Syndrome 
and other forms of abuse to parents, caregivers, day care workers, 
child protection employees, law enforcement personnel, health care 
professionals, and legal representatives. Many prevention programs now 
include not only information about the dangers of shaking babies and 
how to cope with crying, but also address issues of anger management, 
stress reduction, appropriate expectations of children, and specific 
information on why shaking or impact can interrupt early brain 
development. Education programs for judges and others in the judicial 
system are also beneficial for SBS criminal cases. Ultimately, the 
education of all will help us reach a critical goal of zero tolerance 
toward shaking, a goal that will help to save children's lives.
  The prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome is supported by groups such as 
the Shaken Baby Alliance, an organization which began with 3 mothers of 
children who had been diagnosed with Shaken Baby Syndrome, and whose 
mission is to educate the general public and professionals about Shaken 
Baby Syndrome, and to increase support for victims and victim families 
in the health care and criminal justice systems. In my own state of 
Minnesota, the Shaken Baby Alliance is represented by the outstanding 
efforts of Kim Kang, whose daughter Rachel was diagnosed in 1995 with 
Shaken Baby Syndrome, after being violently shaken by a day care 
provider. My heart goes out to her family, and to all of the families 
who deal with the results of Shaken Baby Syndrome and all other forms 
of child abuse and neglect. Child abuse and neglect is a scourge on our 
country, and we must do more to prevent the damage done to our 
children, our families, and our society as a result of child abuse, and 
to help those who suffer its consequences.
  Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week is supported by the Shaken Baby 
Alliance, Children's Defense Fund, American Academy of Pediatrics, 
Child Welfare League of America, Prevent Child Abuse America, Brain 
Injury Association, National Child Abuse Coalition, National Exchange 
Club Foundation, and many other organizations including the National 
Basketball Association, which is sponsoring a series of ``NBA Child 
Abuse Prevention Awareness Nights 2000'' events to generate public 
awareness about the issue of child abuse and neglect during National 
Child Abuse Prevention Month 2000.
  I urge the Senate to adopt this resolution designating the week of 
April 23-30, 2000, as ``Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week'', and to 
take part in the many local and national activities and events 
recognizing the month of April as National Child Abuse Prevention 
Month.
  This resolution has the support of a number of organizations: Shaken 
Baby Alliance, Children's Defense Fund, American Academy of Pediatrics, 
Child Welfare League of America, Prevent Child Abuse America, Brain 
Injury Association, National Child Abuse Coalition, National Exchange 
Club Foundation Child Abuse Prevention Program, and many other 
organizations, including the National Basketball Association, which is 
sponsoring a series of NBA Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Nights 2000 
to generate public awareness of this.
  I will not read the whole resolution, but I do want to just quickly 
summarize this. With this designation, we are designating this week, 
April 23 to 30, 2000, as National Shaken Baby Awareness Week. I do just 
want to read a few whereas clauses, which are chilling.

       Whereas head trauma is the leading cause of death of abused 
     children, including the trauma known as Shaken Baby Syndrome;
       Whereas Shaken Baby Syndrome, which results from the care-
     giver losing control and shaking a baby usually less than 1 
     year of age, and can cause loss of vision, brain damage, 
     paralysis, seizures, or death, is a totally preventable form 
     of child abuse;
       Whereas an estimated 3,000 children are diagnosed with 
     Shaken Baby Syndrome every year, with thousands more 
     misdiagnosed and undetected;
       Whereas the most effective solution to ending Shaken Baby 
     Syndrome is to prevent such abuse--what we are doing is we 
     are designating this week:
       Resolved, That the Senate designates the week of April 23-
     30 as National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week.


[[Page S3041]]


  Mr. President, I wish I did not have to introduce this resolution. I 
thank my colleagues for supporting it, but I think all the 
organizations that are working on this are doing extremely important 
work. It is hard to believe this happens to infants. It is hard to 
believe this happens to small children. I certainly cannot say on the 
floor of the Senate that agreeing to a resolution, ipso facto, ends 
this practice. But our agreeing to this resolution means a lot to 
people who have experienced this horror and to people who care deeply 
about this issue.
  I thank colleagues.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the resolution and preamble be 
agreed to en bloc, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and 
any statements relating thereto be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 300) was agreed to. The preamble were agreed 
to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 300

       Whereas the month of April has been designated National 
     Child Abuse Prevention Month, an annual tradition initiated 
     by former President Jimmy Carter in 1979;
       Whereas the most recent government figures show that over 
     1,000,000 children were victims of abuse and neglect in 1997, 
     causing unspeakable pain and suffering to our most vulnerable 
     citizens;
       Whereas among the children who are victims of abuse and 
     neglect, more than 3 children die each day in this country;
       Whereas the rate of child fatalities has risen by 37 
     percent between 1985 and 1997, with children aged 3 and 
     younger accounting for 77 percent of the fatalities;
       Whereas head trauma is the leading cause of death of abused 
     children, including the trauma known as Shaken Baby Syndrome;
       Whereas Shaken Baby Syndrome, which results from a 
     caregiver losing control and shaking a baby usually less than 
     1 year of age, and can cause loss of vision, brain damage, 
     paralysis, seizures, or death, is a totally preventable form 
     of child abuse;
       Whereas an estimated 3,000 children are diagnosed with 
     Shaken Baby Syndrome every year, with thousands more 
     misdiagnosed and undetected;
       Whereas Shaken Baby Syndrome often results in permanent, 
     irreparable brain damage or death to an infant, and more than 
     $1,000,000 in medical costs in just the first few years of 
     life to care for a single, disabled child;
       Whereas the most effective solution to ending Shaken Baby 
     Syndrome is to prevent such abuse, and it is clear that the 
     minimal costs of educational and prevention programs may 
     prevent the enormous medical and disability costs and untold 
     grief for many families;
       Whereas prevention programs have been shown to raise 
     awareness and provide critically important information about 
     Shaken Baby Syndrome to parents, caregivers, day-care 
     workers, child protection employees, law enforcement 
     personnel, health care professionals, and legal 
     representatives;
       Whereas prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome is supported by 
     groups such as the Shaken Baby Alliance, an organization 
     which began with 3 mothers of children who had been diagnosed 
     with Shaken Baby Syndrome, and whose mission is to educate 
     the general public and professionals about Shaken Baby 
     Syndrome and to increase support for victims and victim 
     families in the health care and criminal justice systems;
       Whereas child abuse prevention programs and ``National 
     Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week'' are supported by the 
     Shaken Baby Alliance, Children's Defense Fund, American 
     Academy of Pediatrics, Child Welfare League of America, 
     Prevent Child Abuse America, Brain Injury Association, 
     National Child Abuse Coalition, National Exchange Club 
     Foundation, and many other organizations including the 
     National Basketball Association which is sponsoring a series 
     of ``NBA Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Night 2000'' events 
     to generate public awareness about the issue of child abuse 
     and neglect during National Child Abuse Prevention Month 
     2000;
       Whereas a year 2000 survey by Prevent Child Abuse America 
     shows that \1/2\ of all Americans believe child abuse and 
     neglect is the most important issue facing this country 
     compared to other public health issues; and
       Whereas Congress strongly supports efforts to protect 
     children from abuse and neglect: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate designates the week of April 23-
     30, 2000, as ``National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness 
     Week''.

                          ____________________