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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

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

 

 

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

 

 

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1 can bring about a significant reduction in the number of cases
2 of Shaken Baby Syndrome; and
 
3     WHEREAS, Education 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, Efforts to prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome are
9 supported by advocacy groups across the United States that were
10 formed by parents and relatives of children who have been
11 killed or injured by shaking, such as the National Shaken Baby
12 Coalition, the Shaken Baby Association, the SKIPPER (Shaking
13 Kills: Instead Parents Please Educate and Remember)
14 Initiative, the Shaken Baby Alliance, Shaken Baby Prevention,
15 Inc., A Voice for Gabbi, Don't Shake Jake, the Kierra Harrison
16 Foundation, the Cynthia Gibbs Foundation, Reagan's Rescue, and
17 the Hannah Rose Foundation, whose mission is to educate the
18 general public and professionals about Shaken Baby Syndrome and
19 to increase support for victims and victim's families in the
20 health care and criminal justice systems; and
 
21     WHEREAS, Child abuse prevention programs and "National
22 Shaken Baby Syndrome Awareness Week" are supported by the
23 National Shaken Baby Coalition, the National Center on Shaken

 

 

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

 

 

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