From the Charleston Gazette-Mail,
“After a father allegedly shook his son and caused bleeding on the 4-month-old’s brain last weekend, health experts said the way to prevent the next occurrence won’t be by pretending such a traumatic incident can only happen to other families.
…Dr. Sharon Istfan, associate chief medical officer at Charleston Area Medical Center’s Women and Children’s Hospital, said similar cases happen more often than people realize.
She sees a similar case about once a month, and believes cases are probably even more prevalent than that because health care providers often see only those cases that result in the most severe injuries.
“That’s probably the tip of the iceberg,” she said.
…Cases significantly increased in West Virginia from 2000-2010.
The West Virginia Abusive Head Trauma Incidence Monitoring Team reviewed medical records and found about five cases a year during 2000-2005 and about 10 cases a year from 2005-2010, according to Dr. James McJunkin, professor of pediatrics at the West Virginia University Health Sciences Center Charleston Division.”