Bill Text: IL SR0049 | 2009-2010 | 96th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Designates the third week of April in 2009 as "Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week" in the State of Illinois.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)

Status: (Passed) 2009-03-06 - Resolution Adopted [SR0049 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2009-SR0049-Introduced.html

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SENATE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The month of April has been designated "National
Child Abuse Prevention Month" as an annual tradition that was
initiated in 1979 by former President Jimmy Carter; and
WHEREAS, The most recent National Child Abuse and Neglect
Data System (NCANDS) figures show that almost 900,000 children
were victims of abuse and neglect in the United States in 2004,
causing unspeakable pain and suffering to our most vulnerable
citizens; among the children who are victims of abuse and
neglect, nearly four children die each day in this country; and
WHEREAS, Children age one and younger accounted for 45
percent of child abuse and neglect fatalities in 2004, and
children age three and younger accounted for 81 percent of all
child abuse and neglect fatalities in 2004; and
WHEREAS, Abusive head trauma, including the trauma known as
Shaken Baby Syndrome, is recognized as the leading cause of
death of physically abused children; Shaken Baby Syndrome is a
totally preventable form of child abuse, caused by a caregiver
losing control and shaking a baby that is usually less than one
year in age; it can result in loss of vision, brain damage,
paralysis, seizures, or death; and

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WHEREAS, A 2003 report in the Journal of the American
Medical Association estimates that, in the United States, an
average of 300 children will die each year, and 600 to 1,200
more will be injured, of whom two-thirds will be babies or
infants under one year in age, as a result of Shaken Baby
Syndrome, with many cases resulting in severe and permanent
disabilities; and
WHEREAS, Medical professionals believe that thousands of
additional cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome are being misdiagnosed
or not detected; and
WHEREAS, Shaken Baby Syndrome often results in permanent,
irreparable brain damage or death to an infant and may result
in more than $1,000,000 in medical costs to care for a single,
disabled child in just the first few years of life; and
WHEREAS, The most effective solution for ending Shaken Baby
Syndrome is to prevent such abuse, and it is clear that the
minimal costs of education and prevention programs may prevent
enormous medical and disability costs and untold grief for many
families; and
WHEREAS, Prevention programs have demonstrated that
educating new parents about the danger of shaking young
children and how they can help protect their child from injury

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can bring about a significant reduction in the number of cases
of Shaken Baby Syndrome; and
WHEREAS, Education programs have been shown to raise
awareness and provide critically important information about
Shaken Baby Syndrome to parents, caregivers, daycare workers,
child protection employees, law enforcement personnel, health
care professionals, and legal representatives; and
WHEREAS, Efforts to prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome are
supported by advocacy groups across the United States that were
formed by parents and relatives of children who have been
killed or injured by shaking, such as the National Shaken Baby
Coalition, the Shaken Baby Association, the SKIPPER (Shaking
Kills: Instead Parents Please Educate and Remember)
Initiative, the Shaken Baby Alliance, Shaken Baby Prevention,
Inc., A Voice for Gabbi, Don't Shake Jake, the Kierra Harrison
Foundation, the Cynthia Gibbs Foundation, Reagan's Rescue, and
the Hannah Rose Foundation, whose mission is to educate the
general public and professionals about Shaken Baby Syndrome and
to increase support for victims and victim's families in the
health care and criminal justice systems; and
WHEREAS, Child abuse prevention programs and "National
Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week" are supported by the
National Shaken Baby Coalition, the National Center on Shaken

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Baby Syndrome, the Children's Defense Fund, the American
Academy of Pediatrics, the Child Welfare League of America,
Prevent Child Abuse America, the National Child Abuse
Coalition, the National Exchange Club Foundation, the American
Humane Association, the American Professional Society on the
Abuse of Children, the Arc of the United States, the
Association of University Centers on Disabilities, Children's
Healthcare is a Legal Duty, Family Partnership, Family Voices,
National Alliance of Children's Trust and Prevention Funds,
United Cerebral Palsy, the National Association of Children's
Hospitals and related institutions, Never Shake a Baby
Arizona/Prevent Child Abuse Arizona, the Center for Child
Protection and Family Support, and many other organizations;
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that in honor of survivors
of Shaken Baby Syndrome like Kristina Simmons of Decatur,
non-survivors like Taylor Nicole (Pinkas) Rogers of
Edwardsville and Reagan Williams of Danville, and in honor of
all the other precious children that did or did not survive, we
hereby designate April 20-26, 2009, as "Shaken Baby Syndrome
Awareness Week" in the State of Illinois; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we commend those hospitals, child care
councils, schools, and other organizations that are working to

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increase awareness of the danger of shaking young children and
educate parents and caregivers as to how they can help protect
children from such injuries; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we encourage the people of Illinois to
remember the victims of Shaken Baby Syndrome and to participate
in educational programs to help prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
presented to the National Shaken Baby Coalition.