House Bill hb9037

    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HR 9037

        By Representative Waters






  1                         House Resolution

  2         A resolution recognizing April 22-29, 2001, as

  3         "Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week."

  4

  5         WHEREAS, government figures show that more than 1

  6  million children were victims of abuse and neglect in 1997,

  7  causing unspeakable pain and suffering to our most vulnerable

  8  citizens, and

  9         WHEREAS, of the children who are victims of abuse and

10  neglect, more than three die each day in this country, and

11         WHEREAS, the rate of child fatalities rose by 37

12  percent between 1985 and 1997, and children who were 3 years

13  old or younger accounted for 77 percent of the fatalities, and

14         WHEREAS, the leading cause of death of abused children

15  is head trauma, including the trauma known as Shaken Baby

16  Syndrome, and

17         WHEREAS, Shaken Baby Syndrome, which results from a

18  caregiver's losing control and shaking a baby, usually less

19  than 1 year of age, and which can cause loss of vision, brain

20  damage, paralysis, seizures, or death, is a totally

21  preventable form of child abuse, and

22         WHEREAS, an estimated 3,000 children are diagnosed with

23  Shaken Baby Syndrome every year, and thousands more are

24  misdiagnosed and undetected, and

25         WHEREAS, Shaken Baby Syndrome often causes permanent,

26  irreparable brain damage or death to an infant, and may result

27  in more than $1 million in medical costs for the care of a

28  single disabled child during the first few years of life, and

29         WHEREAS, the most effective way to end Shaken Baby

30  Syndrome is by preventing such abuse, and it is clear that the

31  minimal costs of educational and preventive programs may avert

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HR 9037

    722-131-01






  1  enormous medical and disability costs and untold grief for

  2  many families, and

  3         WHEREAS, prevention programs have been shown to raise

  4  awareness and provide critically important information about

  5  Shaken Baby Syndrome to parents, caregivers, daycare workers,

  6  child protection employees, law enforcement personnel, health

  7  care professionals, and legal representatives, and

  8         WHEREAS, prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome is

  9  supported by groups such as the Shaken Baby Alliance, an

10  organization started by three mothers of children who had been

11  diagnosed with Shaken Baby Syndrome, and whose mission is to

12  educate the general public and professionals about the

13  syndrome and to increase support for victims and their

14  families in the health care and criminal justice systems, and

15         WHEREAS, a year 2000 survey by Prevent Child Abuse

16  America shows that half of all Americans believe that child

17  abuse and neglect is the most important issue facing this

18  country, compared to other public health issues, and

19         WHEREAS, the Florida House of Representatives strongly

20  supports efforts to protect children from abuse and neglect,

21  NOW, THEREFORE,

22

23  Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of

24  Florida:

25

26         That the Florida House of Representatives recognizes

27  the week of April 22-29, 2001, as "Shaken Baby Syndrome

28  Awareness Week."

29

30

31

                                  2

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.