AMH Receives Award For Abusive Head Trauma Prevention

Antelope Memorial Hospital was presented an award last week for their newborn and child abuse prevention efforts. 

Jackie Moline, RN of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, presented the “Abusive Head Trauma (AHT) Prevention Champion Status” Award for newborns and children to members of Antelope Memorial Hospital’s medical staff and nursing department.

“We’re excited to announce that Antelope Memorial Hospital has earned the ‘Abusive Head Trauma (AHT) Prevention Champion Status’ for newborns and children and is the first in the state of Nebraska,” said Anne Labenz, RN, BSN and Obstetrical Director at Antelope Memorial Hospital. “Antelope Memorial Hospital’s nurses are compassionate about supporting this campaign to strengthen the communities’ awareness of the life altering effects of Abusive Head Trauma/Shaken Baby Syndrome. Our AMH mission is to prevent future children and families from living with the devastating effects of AHT/SBS. The education we obtained from this campaign will give us the skills and knowledge to inform the parents and communities that this is 100 percent preventable.”

Abusive Head Trauma can be caused by shaking or an injury that results in a whiplash motion that causes bleeding inside the brain or eyes, added Labenz. A few seconds of violent shaking may be all it takes to inflict serious injuries. Babies are more susceptible to injury because their heads are bigger and heavier as compared to the rest of their body. They have weak neck muscles and their brains are delicate and still developing. Plus, the baby is much smaller and weaker than the person shaking them.

According to the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome, AHT/SBS is the leading cause of child abuse death within the U.S. Out of the approximate 1,300 reported cases per year, 80 percent of survivors have lifelong disabilities and 25 percent of the cases will die. When a baby is shaken, the brain moves within the skull damaging or destroying brain tissue. Shaking may also tear blood vessels around the brain or eye causing more injury or even death.

Babies cry ‒ sometimes a lot, said Labenz. A baby’s crying is normal and a way for his/her to communicate. Crying in babies peaks around six to eight weeks and gradually decreases by four to five months of age. A baby won’t die from crying, however ‒ he/she MAY die from being shaken. Non-stop crying is a primary trigger for shaking a baby. The problem is not the baby’s crying, but how adults deal with the crying. AHT/SBS prevention education empowers new parents to have a plan ahead of time for how to respond and what to do when they become frustrated with a crying baby. This plan can make a life-changing difference for both the baby and parents.

A 2015 survey of all birthing hospitals in Nebraska revealed that the AHT/SBS prevention education for their staff and parents was inconsistent and varied between hospitals. The goal of the Nebraska Safe Babies – AHT/SBS Prevention Hospital Campaign is to provide evidence-based education to parents of newborns as well as birthing hospital staff. Educating new parents and caregivers within the hospital setting will provide a consistent, evidence-based AHT/SBS prevention message to parents of more than 26,500 newborns across the state. An increase in AHT/SBS prevention awareness will decrease the number of child abuse cases or deaths and reduce Nebraska’s infant mortality rate. Plus, more babies will celebrate their first birthday.

For more information about AHT/SBS prevention education, call Labenz at Antelope Memorial Hospital at 402-887-6223.