Kentucky Governor signs bill to strengthen protections for children

FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY (BNO NEWS)—Governor Steve Beshear signed on Thursday House Bill 285 which provides training to strengthen protections for Kentucky's children and seeks to reduce the threat of child abuse known as "shaken baby syndrome," the Governor's Communications Office announced.

With this legislation, child care professionals will receive training and education in order to recognize and prevent traumatic head injuries classified as shaken baby syndrome; the training will also be available for other people who have contact with infants and toddlers.

"Too many children fall victim to shaken baby syndrome, and we must do everything we can now to prevent this terrible injury. Every child deserves the chance to grow and develop into a productive, healthy adult," Beshear said.

The consequences that a baby could suffer for a violent shake are pediatric abusive head trauma injuries which include irreversible brain damage, blindness, cerebral palsy, gearing loss, spinal cord injury, paralysis, seizures, learning disabilities and in the worst case scenario, death.

In 2008, 21 cases of infant head trauma resulted in a child fatality or near fatality. Last year, 24 cases of cases of pediatric abusive head trauma unfortunately resulted in death.

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