Shaken baby: a childminder judged in the Hauts de Seine

On November 24, 2015, a childminder from Montrouge panicked called the SAMU. Little Augustin, 10 months, in her care, is no longer breathing. Thanks to the indications of the doctors, she begins a cardiac massage while waiting for the arrival of help. The baby was taken care of by the intensive care unit at Necker Hospital but died a few days later on December 10, 2015. The doctors detected numerous signs which left no doubt as to the reasons for his death: subdural hematoma significant (occurring between 3 and 4 weeks before the death of the baby) and retinal haemorrhages. Little Augustin died of shaken baby syndrome.

Shaken baby: a trial awaited for 7 years by parents

According to the indictment order, consulted by AFP, the childminder during her hearing with the investigators would have denied any violent gesture on her part or her family. Moreover, her husband was also in the dock but he has since died. The nurse would have explained to the police that she was worried about the general condition of the baby on his arrival, she explains “never having seen such a face, the eyes circled, (…) contoured in red, very pale complexion. Today, the 61-year-old childminder is being prosecuted for “violence resulting in death without intention of giving it to a minor under the age of 15 by a person in authority”. Initially, the Nanterre prosecutor’s office had requested a dismissal, refused by the investigating judge. A decision confirmed by the investigating chamber of the Versailles Court of Appeal. The parents of little Augustin have been waiting for this judgment for 7 years. The verdict will be given next Friday.

Shaken Baby Syndrome: 1 in 10 Babies Suffering from Shaking Dies

According to the national campaign to raise awareness of shaken baby syndrome on the initiative of Adrien Taquet, Secretary of State in charge of children and families to the Minister of Solidarity and Health (January 2022), “In France , 1 baby in 10, victim of shaking, dies, the others will suffer the consequences all their life. Shaken Baby Syndrome is the cause of serious neurological sequelae that manifest themselves in intellectual, visual or motor impairments, as well as behavioral, speech or attention disorders.

Also referred to as non-accidental head trauma (NAIT), shaken baby syndrome occurs when an infant or young child is violently shaken by an adult. According to government data, shaken baby syndrome claims several hundred victims each year. The peak incidence is between 2 and 4 months, during which time the baby may be induced to cry intensively. One victim in ten dies as a result of these violent and repeated shakings. ¾ of the survivors present severe symptoms: delayed psychomotor development or motor disabilities, cognitive disorders and learning difficulties, behavioral problems, visual impairment or blindness, hearing impairment or deafness, epileptic seizures. Experts point out that the baby’s cry is the only means of communication they have. If the adult feels distraught and/or annoyed by this crying, it is better to move away from the child by laying him on his back in a safe place in order to go get some fresh air for a few minutes to calm down. Do not hesitate to talk about your difficulties with health professionals, sometimes hospitalization of the baby will be necessary in order to avoid its endangerment by one of the parents. Similarly, if the child is entrusted to a third person, it is essential to evoke the shaken baby syndrome and infant crying.