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shaken baby syndrome

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noun
a usually fatal condition of abused infants brought on by violent shaking by the arms or shoulders that causes severe internal bleeding, especially around the brain and in the eyes.
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Origin of shaken baby syndrome

First recorded in 1985–1990
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for shaken baby syndrome

shaken baby syndrome

noun
a combination of physical injuries and conditions such as brain damage and broken bones, sometimes leading to death, caused by the vigorous shaking of an infant or young child
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for shaken baby syndrome

shaken baby syndrome
[ shākən ]

A condition in infants in which brain injury is caused by violent shaking that causes the child's brain to rebound against the skull. This results in bruising, swelling, and bleeding of the brain, often leading to permanent, severe brain damage or death.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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