[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 45 (Friday, April 15, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3760-S3761]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              NATIONAL SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME AWARENESS WEEK

  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the 
immediate consideration of S. Res. 112, submitted earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 112) designating the third week of 
     the April, 2005, as National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness 
     Week.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. DODD: Mr. President, I rise today, along with my colleague 
Senator Alexander, in support of the resolution the Senate has passed 
to proclaim the third week of April of 2005 as Shaken Baby Syndrome 
Awareness Week. I would like to recognize the many groups, particularly 
the National Shaken Baby Coalition and the SKIPPER Initiative, who 
support this effort to increase awareness of one of the most 
devastating forms of child abuse, one that results in the death or 
lifelong disability of too many 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 and one that needs the comprehensive approach of our entire 
public health system to solve. The month of April has been designated 
National Child Abuse Prevention Month as an annual tradition that was 
initiated in 1979 by former President Jimmy Carter. In 2005, April will 
again be National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
  The tragedy of child abuse is well documented. According to the 
National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System, NCANDS, almost 900,000 
children were victims of abuse and neglect in the United States in 
2002, causing unspeakable pain and suffering to our most vulnerable 
citizens. Each day, nearly four of these children die as a result of 
this abuse. Most experts are certain that cases of child abuse and 
neglect are in fact underreported.
  Very young children are particularly vulnerable to the pain of child 
abuse and neglect. In 2002, children age 1 and younger accounted for 
41.2 percent of child abuse and neglect deaths in 2002, and children 
age 4 and younger accounted for 76.1 percent of all child abuse and 
neglect deaths.
  Abusive head trauma, including the trauma known as shaken baby 
syndrome, is recognized as the leading cause of death of physically 
abused children, especially young children. Shaken baby syndrome is a 
totally preventable form of child abuse that 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 and causing untold grief for many families. If a child 
survives shaken baby syndrome, the resulting medical costs to care for 
a single, disabled child in just the first few years of life may exceed 
$1,000,000.
  Too many families have experienced the pain of shaken baby syndrome. 
A 2003 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association 
estimates that, in the United States, an average of 300 children will 
die each year, and 600 to 1,200 more will be injured, of whom \2/3\ 
will be babies or infants under 1 year in age, as a result of shaken 
baby syndrome. Medical professionals believe that thousands more cases 
of shaken baby syndrome are being misdiagnosed or not detected.
  Families should be spared the needless tragedy of shaken baby 
syndrome. 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.
  Pevention programs like the ones recommended by the U.S. Advisory 
Board on Child Abuse and Neglect have demonstrated that educating new 
parents about the danger of shaking young children and how they can 
help protect their child from injury can bring about a significant 
reduction in the number of cases of shaken baby syndrome. In 1998, Dr. 
Mark Dias started the Upstate New York SBS Prevention Project at 
Children's Hospital of Buffalo. It uses a simple 11-minute video to 
educate new parents before they leave the hospital. Since that time, 
the number of shaken baby incidents in the Buffalo area has dropped by 
nearly 50 percent: none of the perpetrators have been identified as 
participants in the hospital education program. Hospitals around the 
country, including several in my own State of Connecticut, have adopted 
programs similar to these to educate new parents about the dangers of 
shaking young children.
  I urge the Senate to adopt this resolution designating the third week 
of April of 2005 and 2006 as National 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.
  The prevention of shaken baby syndrome is supported by advocacy 
groups across the United States that were formed by parents and 
relatives of children who have been killed or injured by shaking. I ask 
unanimous consent that a list of groups supporting this resolution be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
ahe Record, as follows:


   Groups Supporting ``National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week''

       The National Shaken Baby Coalition
       The National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome
       The Children's Defense Fund
       The American Academy of Pediatrics
       The Child Welfare League of America Prevent Child Abuse 
     America
       The National Child Abuse Coalition
       The National Exchange Club Foundation
       The American Humane Association
       The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children
       The Arc of the United States
       The Association of University Centers on Disabilities
       Children's Healthcare is a Legal Duty
       Family Partnership
       Family Voices
       National Alliance of Children's Trust and Prevention Funds
       United Cerebral Palsy
       The National Association of Children's Hospitals and 
     Related Institutions
       Never Shake a Baby Arizona/Prevent Child Abuse Arizona
       The Center for Child Protection and Family Support

[[Page S3761]]

  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution and 
preamble be agreed to en bloc, the motion to reconsider be laid upon 
the table, and any statements relating to the resolution be printed in 
the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 112) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, is as follows:

                              S. Res. 112

       Whereas the month of April has been designated ``National 
     Child Abuse Prevention Month'' as an annual tradition that 
     was initiated in 1979 by former President Jimmy Carter;
       Whereas the most recent National Child Abuse and Neglect 
     Data System (NCANDS) figures show that almost 900,000 
     children were victims of abuse and neglect in the United 
     States in 2002, causing unspeakable pain and suffering to our 
     most vulnerable citizens;
       Whereas among the children who are victims of abuse and 
     neglect, nearly 4 children die each day in this country;
       Whereas children age 1 and younger accounted for 41.2 
     percent of child abuse and neglect fatalities in 2002, and 
     children age 4 and younger accounted for 76.1 percent of all 
     child abuse and neglect fatalities in 2002;
       Whereas abusive head trauma, including the trauma known as 
     Shaken Baby Syndrome, is recognized as the leading cause of 
     death of physically abused children;
       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 in age;
       Whereas Shaken Baby Syndrome can result in loss of vision, 
     brain damage, paralysis, seizures, or death;
       Whereas a 2003 report in the Journal of the American 
     Medical Association estimates that, in the United States, an 
     average of 300 children will die each year, and 600 to 1,200 
     more will be injured, of whom \2/3\ will be babies or infants 
     under 1 year in age, as a result of Shaken Baby Syndrome, 
     with many cases resulting in severe and permanent 
     disabilities;
       Whereas medical professionals believe that thousands of 
     additional cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome are being 
     misdiagnosed or not detected;
       Whereas Shaken Baby Syndrome often results in permanent, 
     irreparable brain damage or death to an infant and may result 
     in 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 demonstrated that 
     educating new parents about the danger of shaking young 
     children and how they can help protect their child from 
     injury can bring about a significant reduction in the number 
     of cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome;
       Whereas education programs have been shown to raise 
     awareness and provide critically important information about 
     Shaken Baby Syndrome to parents, caregivers, daycare workers, 
     child protection employees, law enforcement personnel, health 
     care professionals, and legal representatives;
       Whereas efforts to prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome are 
     supported by advocacy groups across the United States that 
     were formed by parents and relatives of children who have 
     been killed or injured by shaking, such as the National 
     Shaken Baby Coalition, the Shaken Baby Association, the 
     SKIPPER (Shaking Kills: Instead Parents Please Educate and 
     Remember) Initiative, the Shaken Baby Alliance, Shaken Baby 
     Prevention, Inc., A Voice for Gabbi, Don't Shake Jake, and 
     the Kierra Harrison Foundation, whose mission is to educate 
     the general public and professionals about Shaken Baby 
     Syndrome and to increase support for victims and victim's 
     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 
     National Shaken Baby Coalition, the National Center on Shaken 
     Baby Syndrome, the Children's Defense Fund, the American 
     Academy of Pediatrics, the Child Welfare League of America, 
     Prevent Child Abuse America, the National Child Abuse 
     Coalition, the National Exchange Club Foundation, the 
     American Humane Association, the American Professional 
     Society on the Abuse of Children, the Arc of the United 
     States, the Association of University Centers on 
     Disabilities, Children's Healthcare is a Legal Duty, Family 
     Partnership, Family Voices, National Alliance of Children's 
     Trust and Prevention Funds, United Cerebral Palsy, the 
     National Association of Children's Hospitals and related 
     institutions, Never Shake a Baby Arizona/Prevent Child Abuse 
     Arizona, the Center for Child Protection and Family Support, 
     and many other organizations;
       Whereas a 2000 survey by Prevent Child Abuse America shows 
     that half of all Americans believe that of all the public 
     health issues facing this country, child abuse and neglect is 
     the most important;
       Whereas Congress previously designated the third week of 
     April 2001 as ``National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week 
     2001''; 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 in 2005 as 
     ``National Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week''; and
       (2) encourages the people of the United States to remember 
     the victims of Shaken Baby Syndrome and to participate in 
     educational programs to help prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome.

                          ____________________