Factors Causing Mothers to Shake Their Babies Between 1-4 Months: A Descriptive Study

Objective: The first months after birth is a very difficult period for mothers who are trying to get used to their baby. In particular, it can be even more difficult for mothers with frequent crying babies. The aim of this study is to determine the factors that may cause shaking and shaking of babies aged 1-4 months by their mothers. Material and Methods: A total of 180 mothers were included in our descriptive and cross-sectional study. Research data were compiled using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale, the Fragile Infant Scale, and the mother and infant descriptive characteristics form. Results: When the variables of mothers and babies and the state of being shaken by their mothers were examined, it was seen that none of the variables were effective. In addition, the frequency of swinging during the day was 5.3±3.2, the frequency of rocking to sleep was 5.7±3.8, the frequency of swinging in the car was 2.9±2.8, and the frequency of playing the game of being thrown into the air was 3.4±3.3. Babies with a high frequency of crying shake about 1.5 times more than babies who do not cry. The mothers' mean depression scores were found to be 12.1±7, and the fragile infant perception mean score was 31.9±5.3. In the correlation analysis, no statistically significant relationship was found between mothers' depression scale score and fragile baby perception scale score and shaking their babies. The first three practices preferred by the mothers when their babies started to cry were shaking (66.6%), breastfeeding/feeding (63.8%) and pacifier (23.3%), respectively. It was determined that the first three practices preferred by the mothers when the babies continued to cry were shaking (61.1%), breastfeeding/ feeding (58.3%), and playing the throwing game (53.8%), respectively. Conclusion: The results of our study showed that the babies of the mothers included in the study had a low risk for shaken baby syndrome, especially in this period when abuse against children increased with the restrictions that came to the fore in the coronavirus disease-2019 epidemic. Copyright © 2022 by Türkiye Klinikleri.