Signs of Shaken Baby Syndrome may vary from mild to severe. The onset of symptoms is immediate; however, in many cases there is no external sign of injury.

Symptoms of Shaken Baby Syndrome that you may see:

• lack of energy, sluggish
• extreme irritability, annoyed, impatient
• inability to suck or swallow
• decreased appetite, not feeding like usual
• vomiting, more than just spitting up after eating
• difficulty breathing or short shallow breaths
• rigidity or posturing, including abnormal bending of the arms, clenched fists, extended legs, severe arching of the back, or head thrown backwards
• inability of eyes to focus or unequal size of pupils
• seizures, may lose consciousness and experience convulsions
• coma, deep and prolonged unconsciousness

Injuries your pediatrician may find:

• intracranial bleeding, bleeding within the skull
• cerebral edema, excess accumulation of water in brain
• retinal hemorrhages, bleeding of blood vessels in the retina or membrane in the back of the eye
• rib fractures, break or fracture in one or more of the bones making up the rib cage
• fractures of long bones, break or fracture in the femur, tibia, or other long bones
• skull fractures, break or fracture in the skull

Long-term effects may include:

• severe brain injury or damage
• learning disabilities and/or behavior disorders
• impaired motor or cognitive skills
• visual impairment or any kind of vision loss
• paralysis or loss of muscle function for one or more muscle groups
• seizure disorder, where the brain's activity is periodically disturbed and it results in some degree of temporary brain dysfunction
• death