92002E0414

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0414/02

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(21 February 2002)

Subject: Applicability in EU Member States of the Swiss campaign to protect babies against shaking

1. Is the Commission aware that, in Switzerland, it has been found that stressed parents sometimes shake crying babies without intending them any harm, but that because babies' neck muscles are not yet sufficiently developed, a quarter of them die and three quarters suffer irreversible harm?

2. Does the Commission have any comparable data for EU Member States, or can it obtain national data, indicating that a problem similar to that identified in Switzerland exists here?

3. Is the Commission aware of the national campaign Schütteln Sie nie ein Baby, which is now being carried out in Switzerland in response to publicity about the data referred to in question 1?

4. How does the Commission believe that it can help to draw similar attention to this problem and to prevent further harm to young children in the fifteen EU Member States?

Source: Radio 1 News, the Netherlands, 25 January 2002

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(26 March 2002)

1. The Commission is aware of Shaken Baby Syndrome, and of international studies concerning this topic and the Swiss report on the epidemiology of this problem.

2. In the Community, there are no comparable incidence data. A study was made (Ludwig Bolttzmann Institut für kinderchirurgische Forschung) of an Austrian hospital ('Sozial Medizinisches Zentrum' (SMZ) Ost, Vienna) where, retrospectively, medical records have been analysed. Of about 30 000 attendances to the paediatric surgical outpatient clinic, 45 cases were due to child abuse and, out of them, two were probably due to Shaken Baby Syndrome. The Swiss report states: Typically babies with an average age of about five months are concerned.

The relation of boys to girls amounts to 3:2. The actors are in 75 % of the cases men; in 50 % of the cases the parents were responsible for the shaking, partners of the mother

and babysitters for 17 %. According to American Studies, about ¼ of the children traumatised due to shaking die days to weeks after the event. Of those surviving, according to the American sources, ¾ have permanent damage'.

3. The Commission is aware of the Swiss activities, and is in contact with the Swiss institutions involved. There are also activities in Member States, for example the provision of information material to parents in Germany, in Scotland, and in France.

4. The New Public Health Programme, which will probably be adopted later in 2002, has as one of its main objectives to Address health determinants through health promotion and prevention of disease. Dealing with the prevention of child abuse will be one of the operational targets that the Commission will propose to the future Programme Committee.