Kati Bergman and Danyl Herringshaw face charges related to child abuse and shaken baby syndrome of infant girl.

In Thurston County, Kati Bergman and Danyl Herringshaw face charges related to child abuse and shaken baby syndrome of their infant daughter. The infant’s mother, Kati Bergman, has begun a work-release sentence for failing to report child abuse whereupon she allegedly witnessed her boyfriend shake her baby daughter a couple months ago prior to the last incident. The earlier incident went unreported and Danyl Herringshaw had continued contact with the baby.  

This latest September incident of child abuse resulted in the baby requiring advanced life support for a skull fracture, head injury and a fractured rib. Mr. Herringshaw faces charges of first-degree assault. The infant was hospitalized at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital and is expected to have life long disabilities due to child abuse. She is a little over six months old now. Allegedly, Mr. Herringshaw admitted to police that he shook the baby because the baby would not stop crying. 

Researchers have identified abusive parents or caregivers as having risk factors such as substance abuse, low self-esteem, mental or physical disability, depression, history of abuse as a child, poor coping skills, poor impulse control, history of violent behavior or history of being raised in a group setting with no positive parental role.
 

All children are potential victims of child abuse, but some factors increase the risk for a child to be abused. One common trigger for abusive head trauma (Shaken Baby Syndrome) is an infant crying around an adult with poor impulse control.