Question
Will occasionally rocking a baby to sleep in a cradle lead to shaking syndrome?
Answer
Based on your description, occasional rocking should not affect the baby or cause intellectual decline, so there is no need to worry. Try to reduce rocking the baby in the future and avoid doing it too vigorously. During the growth and development phase, a baby’s head is generally protected by the skull, so without any external injury or collision, there should be no impact. Currently, rocking does not affect the brain, and normal feeding is sufficient. However, if a baby has ‘infant shaking syndrome,’ it may be accompanied by a series of clinical symptoms, ranging from restlessness and fatigue to more severe issues like movement disorders, paralysis, difficulty breathing, blindness, delayed response, confusion, and seizures. Later in life, developmental delays and intellectual impairment may occur. Therefore, it is best to have the child undergo an MRI examination at a hospital to rule out the possibility of brain developmental abnormalities.