Video to prevent shaken baby syndrome, being seen at birthing centers, wins a state public-health award

A video aimed at preventing shaken baby syndrome, by educating parents about it, has won an award from the Kentucky Public Health Association.

“Many of us remember taking a baby home from the hospital and thinking, ‘Where’s the instruction book?’” said Bill Jones, CEO of WellCare of Kentucky, which so-sponsored the video. “This video doesn’t provide answers for all of parenthood’s challenges, but it will give parents vital information to help keep children safe. As the largest Medicaid provider in Kentucky, we believe strongly in the importance of prevention practices. Often, information is prevention.”

WellCare, a managed-care company, developed the video with Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky and the Kentucky Hospital Association, which shared in the award. They distributed the video to birthing centers throughout Kentucky last year.

The hospital group said the video could be viewed by 50,000 new parents a year, at the state's 46 birthing centers. “Becoming a new parent can be both overwhelming and joyous,” CEO Nancy Galvagni said. “Our birthing hospitals are in a unique position to provide immediate support to new parents, and through this ground-breaking educational video, we can protect thousands of infant lives.”

Shaken baby syndrome is the common name for pediatric abusive head trauma. "Serious traumatic brain injury in young children is largely the result of abuse and results in significant morbidity and mortality," says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The video focuses on the story of Liz Renner, and her son Colton, Now 4, Colton suffered trauma at the hands of a caregiver as an infant. “My hope is our personal story can be shared with as many new parents as possible so others can prevent this type of trauma from happening to their babies,” Renner said.