Secondary Analysis of the "Love Me...Never Shake Me" SBS Education Program

• Published in: Child abuse & neglect Vol. 32; no. 11; pp. 1017 - 1025
• Main Authors: Deyo, Grace, Skybo, Theresa, Carroll, Alisa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier 01.11.2008
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Adult; Analysis of Variance; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child Abuse; Child Abuse - prevention & control; Coping; Crying; Databases, Factual; Death; Fathers; Female; Females; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Hospitals; Humans; Infant Care - methods; Infant, Newborn; Infants; Injuries; Intervention; Intimacy; Male; Medical sciences; Mental health; Middle Aged; Mothers; Mothers - education; Mothers - psychology; Ohio; Parent Education; Parent Training; Parents; Patient Education as Topic - methods; Postpartum Period; Postpartum women; Pretests Posttests; Prevention; Prevention. Health policy. Planification; Program Effectiveness; Program Evaluation; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Shaken Baby Syndrome - prevention & control; Social psychiatry. Ethnopsychiatry; Surveys and Questionnaires; Victimology; Young Adult; United States; North America; America; Ohio; Human; Parental behavior; Sanitary program; Nervous system diseases; Mental health; Educational schedule; Victimology; Shaken baby syndrome prevention; Head injury prevention; Prevention; Child abuse; Shaken baby syndrome; Patient education; Family environment; Child abuse prevention; Head trauma; Secondary analysis; Public health
• ISSN: 0145-2134; 1873-7757
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2008.02.006

Objective: Shaken baby syndrome (SBS) is preventable; however, an estimated 21-74 per 100,000 children worldwide are victims annually. This study examined the effectiveness of an SBS prevention program in the US. Methods: A descriptive, secondary analysis of the Prevent Child Abuse Ohio (PCAO) "Love Me...Never Shake Me" SBS education program database included 7,051 women who completed a commitment statement, pre- and post-test, and follow-up survey. Results: Participants were mostly White (76%), had at least some college education (62%), were privately insured (62%), and lived with the father and infant (63%). Mothers knew of the dangers of shaking (96%) and recommended SBS education for all parents (98%) because they found it helpful (97%). Scores on the pre- and post-tests were significantly different, but there was no difference based on education site or demographics. There was a significant increase in a pre/post-test item pertaining to infant crying. At follow-up, participants remembered postpartum SBS education (98%), but post-discharge did not receive SBS education from their primary care provider (62%). Most mothers practiced infant soothing techniques (79%) provided in the education; however, few women practiced self-coping techniques (36%) and accessed community support services (9%). Conclusions: Postpartum SBS prevention education should continue. Development of SBS programs should result from these study findings focusing on education content and program evaluation. Practice implications: Mothers report that shaken baby syndrome education is important for all parents and memorable at follow-up. Postpartum SBS education should continue because the hospital is the primary place they receive education. Mothers' report they less frequently receive education from healthcare sources post-discharge. Diligence of primary care providers to incorporate SBS prevention education in well child visits will increase parental exposure to this information. Education may need to place greater emphasis on infant crying and soothing, as well as parent support and self-coping techniques versus the dangers of shaking. (Contains 1 figure and 3 tables.)