Safety of bouncing baby/shaken baby syndrome

[EarthMama]

My mom heard that I like to sit on an exercise ball and bounce up and down while holding my son. He loves it and smiles and often it's the only thing that will soothe him.

but my mom said I could give him shaken baby syndrome

this scared me...how much does a baby's head need to bounce to get the syndrome? we always support his neck and head while bouncing but now I'm worried.

 

[tummymummy]

I think it needs to be quite a violent shake to cause shaken baby hun. Babies are very resilient and some including mine enjoy a good ol bounce xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[aliss]

How to say this without being grim... when you take courses on how to spot shaken baby syndrome (at least when you work in law enforcement), you pretty much have to shake them to the point that their neck would snap. It's extremely violent. My OH said when he took the course, they used a doll and you''d vomit to see how much effort it actually takes.

A bouncing ball in mother's arms, no....

 

[RaspberryK]

My midwife actually recommended this as it helps to gently strengthen core muscles and soothes baby.
x

 

[sophie22]

i was so worried about this but hearing what people say about shaking it sounds like you dont need to worry. i used to always tell my OH off as when he would rock him to sleep he would do it really fast and quite abruptly when he was crying. id panic!!

 

[Lil_Pixie]

I bounce my son on my knee pretty vigorously to whatever on MTV . He giggles his little head off. I would think in order to do damage the baby would surely not be having fun!

 

[Mummy_to_be87]

i was so worried about this but hearing what people say about shaking it sounds like you dont need to worry. i used to always tell my OH off as when he would rock him to sleep he would do it really fast and quite abruptly when he was crying. id panic!!

Im the same...my OH would bounce my LO up and down when she was in hysterics and I would shout at him ''shaken baby syndrome!!! shaken baby syndrome!!!'' He just looks at me like Im a crazy, over protective mother

 

[EarthMama]

I feel way relieved now! All morning I was watching LO like a hawk for shaken baby symptoms.

good to know I don't have to fear bouncing

 

[lozzy21]

If you put an egg in a plastic tub and shake it till it cracks, it's the same amount of force to break the egg as it dose to break a baby.

 

[Babushka99]

I think their neck also has to go really far backwards to get SBS... eugh i feel sick typing that.

 

[Lil_Pixie]

If you put an egg in a plastic tub and shake it till it cracks, it's the same amount of force to break the egg as it dose to break a baby.

That doesn't sound like very much force to me!! Guess what I'll be doing before my scrambles eggs today. .

 

[pinkbumpnov]

we bounce lo on her bouncer. My oh used to do it fast-not crazily fast, but she liked bouncing!

I am pretty sure the people who shake babies do it with extreme force and its intended. But through a playful bounce the way most parents do when soothing/playing thats fine
x

 

[Lottie86]

If you think about it baby swings on their fastest setting rock them back and forth very fast (Findlay's Graco one makes me feel queasy to watch it's that fast) and swings are clearly safe to use otherwise they wouldn't be allowed to sell them and I can't see that you bouncing on a bouncy ball whilst holding the baby is any different.

 

[cherryglitter]

i think a certain amount of anger also comes into play when you shake a baby it would have to be really vigorous. errgh.

 

[steph.]

You have to shake them hard enough that someone else watching could easily see that what you are doing is dangerous.