[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 30 (Thursday, March 8, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2094-S2096]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 55--DESIGNATING THE THIRD WEEK OF APRIL AS ``NATIONAL 
SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME AWARENESS WEEK'' FOR THE YEAR 2001 AND ALL FUTURE 
                                 YEARS

  Mr. WELLSTONE submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                               S. Res. 55

       Whereas the month of April has been designated National 
     Child Abuse Prevention Month as an annual tradition initiated 
     in 1979 by former President Jimmy Carter;
       Whereas the most recent Government figures show that almost 
     1,000,000 children were victims of abuse and neglect in 1998, 
     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 resulting from child 
     abuse and neglect in 1998 for children aged 1 and younger 
     accounted for 40 percent of the fatalities, and for children 
     aged 5 and younger accounted for 77.5 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 is a totally preventable form 
     of child abuse, caused by a caregiver losing control and 
     shaking a baby that is usually less than 1 year of age;
       Whereas Shaken Baby Syndrome can result in loss of vision, 
     brain damage, paralysis, seizures, or death;
       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 to care for a single, disabled 
     child in just the first few years of life;
       Whereas the most effective solution for ending Shaken Baby 
     Syndrome is to prevent such abuse, and it is clear that the 
     minimal costs of education and prevention programs may 
     prevent 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

[[Page S2095]]

     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, American Medical Association, Child 
     Welfare League of America, Prevent Child Abuse America, Brain 
     Injury Association, National Child Abuse Coalition, National 
     Exchange Club Foundation, American Humane Association, Center 
     for Child Protection and Family Support, Inc., National 
     Association Of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions, 
     and many other organizations including the National 
     Basketball Association, which is sponsoring a series of ``NBA 
     Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Night 2001'' events to 
     generate public awareness about the issue of child abuse and 
     neglect during National Child Abuse Prevention Month 2001;
       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--
       (1) designates the third week of April, as ``National 
     Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week'' for the year 2001 and 
     all future years; and
       (2) requests that the President issue a proclamation urging 
     the people of the United States to remember the victims of 
     Shaken Baby Syndrome and participate in educational programs 
     to help prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome.
                                  ____

  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a resolution 
to proclaim the third week of April each year as ``Shaken Baby Syndrome 
Awareness Week''. I would like 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.
  We must 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. For the past twenty years, the 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. In 2001, April will be National 
Child Abuse Prevention Month.
  The extent of the tragedy that is child abuse is well-documented. The 
most recent government figures show that almost 1 million children were 
victims of abuse in 1998. 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 latest data showed that in 1998, the rate of 
child fatalities resulting from child abuse and neglect in 1998 for 
children aged 1 and younger accounted for 40 percent of the fatalities. 
For children aged 5 and younger child abuse and neglect accounted for 
78 percent of the 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, American Medical Association, Child Welfare League of 
America, Prevent Child Abuse America, Brain Injury Association, 
National Child Abuse Coalition, National Exchange Club Foundation, 
American Humane Association, Center for Child Protection and Family 
Support, Inc., National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related 
Institutions, and many other organizations including the National 
Basketball Association, which is sponsoring a series of ``NBA Child 
Abuse Prevention Awareness Nights 2001'' events to generate public 
awareness about the issue of child abuse and neglect during National 
Child Abuse Prevention Month 2001.
  This year the Congress also has the opportunity to seriously address 
the issue of child abuse and neglect by increasing the funding for 
prevention and training programs as part of the reauthorization of 
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, CAPTA. I look forward to 
working with my Senate and House colleagues on both sides of the aisle 
to direct additional resources to the prevention of abuse and neglect 
of our children. We must do more as a country to protect our vulnerable 
children from this most serious betrayal of trust, to prevent the 
fatalities and severe physical and psychological harm that results from 
such abuse, and to help those who work to end this national tragedy by 
providing the resources they need to do their work.

[[Page S2096]]

  I urge the Senate to adopt this resolution designating the third week 
of April each year 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. I ask unanimous consent that the full text of the Resolution be 
printed in the Record following my statement.

                          ____________________