Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma in Sweden

doi:10.1017/9781009177894.024

Chapter 23 - Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma in Sweden

from Section 5 - International

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 June 2023

Ulf Högberg and

Edited by

Waney Squier and

Keith A. Findley: Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Cyrille Rossant: Affiliation:
University College London
Kana Sasakura: Affiliation:
Konan University, Japan
Leila Schneps: Affiliation:
Sorbonne Université, Paris
Waney Squier: Affiliation:
John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford
Knut Wester: Affiliation:
Universitetet i Bergen, Norway

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Summary

Child protection has been focused on detecting and preventing abuse in Sweden since the 1950s. An extensive and efficient implementation of knowledge on SBS/AHT took place from the late 1990s and intensified during the years from 2002, led by paediatricians, neuroradiologists and ophthalmologists supported by government agencies, the parliament and regional health councils. Shaken baby syndrome/abusive head trauma was presented in textbooks, professional society’s guidelines, conferences, and teaching. A taskforce for child protection was created by the Swedish Paediatric Society and child protection teams were created subsequently at the university hospitals. A steep increase in infant maltreatment diagnoses occurred concomitant to this implementation, also an increase in out-of-home care for infants with SBS/AHT findings. The SBS/AHT knowledge still prevails in the guidelines by the professional societies. However, a decline in infant maltreatment diagnoses has occurred during recent years, which might indicate a burgeoning de-implementation process related to a decision in Swedish Supreme Court (2014) and the SBU-report on traumatic shaking (2016).

Keywords

child protection mandatory reporting Sweden

Type: Chapter
Information: Shaken Baby Syndrome
Investigating the Abusive Head Trauma Controversy
, pp. 350 - 358

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009177894.024 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2023

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Chapter 23 - Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma in Sweden

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