Assessment of a brief intervention with parents to prevent shaken baby syndrome 1

Abstract

Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is a form of physical abuse, which may result in serious consequences for child development. Despite its severity, SBS can be prevented through parent training. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief intervention to increase knowledge on SBS with 252 parents. Participants were randomly assigned into two conditions: Experimental Group (EG) and a waiting Control Group (CG). The intervention consisted of exhibition of an educational video and reading a pamphlet on SBS. To measure parental knowledge, the Attitudes towards the Infant Crying Scale was used. An increase in participants’ knowledge about consequences of shaking, caregiver’s wellbeing, caregiver strategies to deal with crying, beliefs about infant care and about characteristics of infant crying were observed in the EG at posttest, indicating the effectiveness of the intervention.