In Marion, Ohio, Teddy G. Thomas, III, father of 3-month-old deceased infant, was arrested for charges related to child endangerment and involuntary manslaughter. The infant was taken to Marion General Emergency Department. The ER staff notified police when the infant’s condition was determined to be serious with life-threatening injuries. The infant was flown to Nationwide Children’s Hospital where the infant died from the injuries. Mr. Thomas was arrested and charged with child endangerment and involuntary manslaughter. The infant has a twin brother at home.
Different forms of child abuse may happen to infants. One common form of child abuse found in infants is Shaken Baby Syndrome. Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is an injurious condition caused by the shaking of an infant or child. The action of rapidly shaking an infant or child causes the sudden forward, backward and sideway motion of the head. During the shaking action the brain is injured from hitting against the inside of the bony skull, causing inflammation, bleeding, separation of vessels and nerve fibers in the soft brain tissue on all sides of the brain. The brain of an infant or child is very soft because it has more water content and it is easier to injure than an adult brain. Therefore, less energy is required to cause lethal injury to an infant or child’s brain. In SBS, the eyes may get injured by the sudden increase in pressure and motion around the soft tissues that make up the delicate structure of the eyes. After the shaking, the brain and the eyes bleed inside the confined spaces they are contained in. This bleeding causes high pressure to build within the head and eyes. The damage caused by shaking the head, brain and eye structures and the increasing high pressure that follows causes permanent injury or death for the infant or child.
