LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION memorializing Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to
proclaim April 15-21, 2012, as Abusive Head Trauma/Shaken Baby Syndrome
Awareness Week in the State of New York

WHEREAS, The most recent statistics compiled by the federal government
show that 688,211 children were victims of abuse and neglect in the
United States in 2010, including 77,011 children in New York State, of
whom 7,424 were under one year of age; and
WHEREAS, On an average day in the United States, at least four chil-
dren will die as a consequence of abuse or neglect by a caregiver; and
WHEREAS, Children younger than one year of age accounted for 47.7
percent of all child abuse and neglect fatalities in 2010, and children
younger than 4 years old accounted for 80 percent of all child abuse and
neglect fatalities in 2010; and
WHEREAS, The leading cause of death of abused children under age 5 is
Abusive Head Trauma, including the inflicted trauma known as Shaken Baby
Syndrome; and
WHEREAS, On average 1200 to 1400 children in the United States are
diagnosed with AHT/SBS every year, and medical experts believe many
additional cases are likely misdiagnosed or undetected; and
WHEREAS, Shaken Baby Syndrome and other inflicted head trauma occurs
when a caregiver loses control and shakes a baby or young child, most
frequently less than 1 year of age but in some cases as old as 5 years
of age, resulting in loss of vision, brain damage, paralysis, seizures,
or death; and
WHEREAS, Shaken Baby Syndrome often causes permanent, irreparable
brain damage or death to an infant, and may result in more than
$1,000,000 in medical and rehabilitation costs for the care of a single
disabled child during the first years of life; and
WHEREAS, A growing body of medical evidence indicates that even mild
trauma to the brain caused by AHT/SBS is likely to cause learning disa-
bilities in children and substantially increase the risk of substance
abuse; and
WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated in
2011 that the average cost of child maltreatment is $210,012 over the
course of a victim's lifetime, including the costs of child welfare,
special education, criminal justice expenses, medical care and lost
productivity as an adult; and
WHEREAS, It is estimated that the taxpayers of the State of New York
may, though the State Medicaid program, pay as much as 41% of the
medical and rehabilitation costs that result from inflicted head inju-
ries; and
WHEREAS, The national cost of child abuse is estimated by the Centers
for Disease Control to be more than $124 billion a year, and the cost of
child abuse in New York State is estimated to exceed $13 billion a year;
and
WHEREAS, The most effective way to end AHT/SBS is by educating parents
and caregivers about the danger of shaking children and providing the
skills needed to cope with frustration and anger, and it is clear that
the minimal costs of educational and preventative programs may avert
enormous medical and disability costs and untold grief for many fami-
lies; and
WHEREAS, Evidence-based education and awareness programs, such as the
nationally recognized New York SBS Prevention Project, developed by Dr.
Mark Dias with the support of the NYS Children and Families Trust Fund,
and implemented in collaboration with Kalieda Health Women and Chil-
dren's Hospital of Buffalo and the Maria Fareri Children's Hospital of

Westchester, are shown to raise awareness and provide critically impor-
tant information about SBS to parents, caregivers, daycare workers, and
health care professionals; and
WHEREAS, The New York SBS Prevention Project and the Maria Fareri
Children's Hospital reported in 2011 that following the implementation
of prevention education at 21 hospitals in the lower Hudson Valley, the
number of cases of AHT dropped by 75%; and
WHEREAS, Home visiting programs, such as Healthy Families New York,
the Nurse Family Partnership, and other home programs for new parents
have also shown great promise to prevent maltreatment among vulnerable
families; and
WHEREAS, These prevention efforts are supported by national groups
such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, Prevent Child Abuse America
and the National Center for Shaken Baby Syndrome, as well as individuals
and organizations in New York State, such as Prevent Child Abuse New
York, the Cynthia Gibbs Foundation, and the SKIPPER Initiative, who work
to educate new parents and caregivers, increase awareness among the
general public and professionals, and encourage increased support for
victims and their families in the health care and criminal justice
systems; and
WHEREAS, The New York State Legislature has enacted legislation to
help increase awareness of AHT/SBS by requiring that: hospitals offer
written information about Shaken Baby Syndrome (2001); new child care
providers be educated about the causes, consequences and prevention of
SBS before they are licensed to care for children (2003); hospitals to
offer new parents the opportunity to watch a video about the causes,
consequences and prevention of SBS so that they can help protect their
child from shaking injuries (2004); the Health Department coordinate a
statewide campaign to educate the public about the causes, consequences
and prevention of SBS (2006); the Education Department provide a curric-
ulum on SBS to schools so that students, who not only may be parents
some day, but who may be babysitting for young children now, are
educated about the importance of coping skills (2006); and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body wishes to commend those advocates,
organizations and agencies of State, county and local governments which
work continuously and tirelessly to educate parents and caregivers about
the causes, consequences and prevention of SBS and other inflicted inju-
ries; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body particularly wishes to recognize the
New York Shaken Baby Prevention Program staff and the nurse educators
who provide education to new parents at New York's maternity hospitals;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim April 15-21, 2012, as
Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week in the State of New York; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New
York.