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Ophthalmologists can help spot shaken baby syndrome
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PHILADELPHIA — Ophthalmologists are in a unique position to recognize shaken baby syndrome and help other physicians recognize it as a part of traumatic pediatric injuries.
Monte D. Mills, MD, director of ophthalmology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, explained that ophthalmologists can play a role in potentially saving lives. Dr. Mills believes shaken baby syndrome (SBS) is severely underdiagnosed.
He said ophthalmologists must be aware of the classic findings of the differential diagnosis of retinal hemorrhage in infants and the patient’s history.
Because SBS is a closed head injury, the most important role an ophthalmologist can play is deciphering what kind of retinal hemorrhage a patient is suffering from, deciding why it occurred and detailing any possibility of other causes.
Whereas non-ophthalmic physicians may not think to notice retinal lesions or question their origin, an ophthalmologist should be able to decipher the signs, Dr. Mills said.
Most important, according to Dr. Mills, the ophthalmologist must not be concerned about being offensive to the parents by raising the issue but rather must be concerned about protecting the child from future injury or SBS-related death.
For a more complete account of Dr. Mills’ remarks, click here.