Shaken baby syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the comprehensive ophthalmologic experience with the shaken baby syndrome at one medical center, including clinical findings, autopsy findings, and the outcome of survivors.


METHODS
Retrospective, noncomparative case series.


METHODS
One hundred twenty-three children admitted from January 1987 through December 1998 for subdural hematomas of the brain secondary to abuse were included.


METHODS
Clinical features of eye examinations of the patients during their admission and after discharge and histopathologic observations for patients who died were retrieved from medical records and statistically analyzed.


METHODS
Visual response and pupillary response on initial examination, fundus findings, final vision, neurologic outcome of survivors, and death.


RESULTS
Ninety percent of the patients had ophthalmologic assessments. Retinal hemorrhages were detected in 83% of the examined children. The retinal hemorrhages were bilateral in 85% of affected children and varied in type and location. Nonophthalmologists missed the hemorrhages in 29% of affected patients. Poor visual response, poor pupillary response, and retinal hemorrhage correlated strongly with the demise of the child. One child who died had pigmented retinal scars from previous abuse, a condition not previously observed histopathologically to our knowledge. One fifth of the survivors had poor vision, largely the result of cerebral visual impairment. Severe neurologic impairment correlated highly with loss of vision.


CONCLUSIONS
Shaken baby syndrome causes devastating injury to the brain and thus to vision. Retinal hemorrhages are extremely common, but vision loss is most often the result of brain injury. The patient's visual reaction and pupillary response on presentation showed a high correlation with survival. Good initial visual reaction was highly correlated with good final vision and neurologic outcome. According to the literature, when retinal hemorrhages are found in young children, the likelihood that abuse occurred is very high. Nonophthalmologists' difficulty in detecting retinal hemorrhages may be an important limiting factor in identifying shaken babies so they can be protected from further abuse.
Kivlin
J D
JD
Department of Ophthalmology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. jkivlin@mcw.edu
Simons
K B
KB
Lazoritz
S
S
Ruttum
M S
MS
D001497:Battered Child Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006408:Hematoma, Subdural / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012166:Retinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000209:etiology