How Much Force Is Necessary To Hurt A Babys Brain?
Because the young childs brain and skull as noted above are developmentally immature, they are particularly vulnerable to shearing injuries of the brain when significant forces are applied to the head. Impact to the head of the young child is much more likely to produce shearing injury of the vessels and axons rather than brain contusions as might be seen in older ages. The supporting structures of myelin and the glial framework are both lacking to a great degree and which facilitates shearing injury . The soft consistency of the brain and the pliability of the bone facilitate brain deformation on head impact. The large heavy head supported on the weak neck allows greater movements of the head and brain in response to acceleration-deceleration forces. In the early 1970s, shaking as a mechanism of injury was described in young children who demonstrated a syndrome of subdural and subarachnoid hemorrhages, retinal hemorrhages, and metaphyseal fractures. Some have questioned whether shakin
