Many cases of serious child injuries involve professional care providers. Infants and young children cannot defend themselves against aggression from adults. Additionally, they have limited communication capabilities if someone injures them.
The adults caring for them sometimes feel like they can act without consequences because the children cannot tell others about what happened or name the person who injured them. Particularly in scenarios where people are emotionally reactive, they might engage in misconduct toward an infant that results in permanent injury or death.
Care providers might shake a baby out of frustration
When babies don’t stop crying after receiving attention, they can make life miserable for everyone nearby. Their cries can cause headaches and stress responses in others. They can also wake up and agitate the other children at a facility.
Those without a family relationship with a child may be more likely to engage in violence in an attempt to suppress a baby’s cries. Many professionals providing hands-on care at facilities like daycare centers have minimal training and receive low wages.
The tragic reality is that approximately 300 infants and children under the age of six every year die because of shaken baby syndrome in the U.S. Hundreds of other infants suffer serious and potentially permanent injuries because caregivers, including daycare professionals, become violent toward them.
Parents trying to cover the cost of medical care and lost wages because they must take care of the child may need to file a civil lawsuit. Holding care providers accountable for injuring infants may require legal action but can result in compensation when there is proof that a professional shook a baby.