Attention on Prevention

This is the 3rd episode of our 8-part April Child Abuse Prevention series giving you first-hand perspectives into Shaken Baby Syndrome cases. Today’s guest is Lee Raschke, Captain at Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Tampa, Florida. Lee talks about his experiences investigating Abusive Head Trauma cases and the teamwork required among law enforcement, social services and medical staff to ensure a thorough investigation. Lee walks us through law enforcement’s procedure in a suspected child abuse case from start to finish and discusses the challenges they face with finding the clues that ultimately lead them to the perpetrator. 

Lee talks about a frustrating case that remains unsolved and challenges investigators face when there are multiple suspects. Lee talks about the investigator's role as a fact finder, and their commitment to uncovering the truth about what actually happened to victims of abuse. Brought to you by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome (NCSBS).

Brought to you by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome (NCSBS).

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the NCSBS.

Follow the NCSBS on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.

This episode is the 2nd in our 8-part April Child Abuse Prevention series giving you a deeper look into Shaken Baby Syndrome cases.  We talk to Dr. Debra Esernio-Jenssen, pediatrician and Medical Director of the Child Advocacy Center at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital. You will not find a more thorough explanation of how doctors evaluate infants when they arrive at the hospital and the multi-disciplinary approach used to determine whether the infant was abused. Dr. Jenssen takes listeners step-by-step through the process, the questions they answer, the tests they conduct, the reports they review and the all-encompassing team that provides input into determining a diagnosis of #AbusiveHeadTrauma (AHT). 

Dr. Jenssen discusses the mechanisms and force that causes injuries seen in victims of Shaken Baby Syndrome and the outcomes that these victims experience during recovery.  Finally, Dr. Jenssen explains how normalizing infant crying plays a key role in prevention and educating everyone, including doctors and medical professionals, is critical for prevention to be successful. Brought to you by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome (NCSBS).

Brought to you by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome (NCSBS).

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the NCSBS.

Follow the NCSBS on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.

This episode introduces a special series to bring attention to Child Abuse Prevention Month, celebrated in April each year. We are releasing 8 podcasts, 2 per week, that will bring you first-hand look at Shaken Baby Syndrome cases. We’ll talk with a doctor, a law enforcement officer, a prosecutor, a prevention specialist and families of victims of Shaken Baby Syndrome to bring you their unique experiences.

Our first guest in this series is Kari Egerbrecht. Kari is the mother of Brynn, who was shaken by her biological father when she was just 6 weeks old. Kari discusses the emotional day that Brynn was shaken, the injuries that Brynn suffered, the challenges Brynn faced on her road to recovery and the devastating effects that SBS has had on their family. Kari explains the challenges navigating the court system and even dealing with custody issues with Brynn's father, the perpetrator of the crime. Kari talks about how she found purpose in a non-profit that she and another mother of a victim of SBS founded called the Blue Ribbon Initiative. Through the Initiative, Kari is able to support families of victims of SBS and plans to bring prevention programs to local areas. Brought to you by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome (NCSBS).

Brought to you by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome (NCSBS).

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the NCSBS.

Follow the NCSBS on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Beth Russell, Associate Department Head for Undergraduate Studies and an Associate Professor in the Human Development and Family Studies Department at the University of Connecticut. She is also the Director of the Center of Applied Research in Human Development and Co-Director of the Collaboratory on School and Child Health. Dr. Russell talks about her research looking at how parents handle the stress of caring for new babies, specifically looking at how parents manage their own emotions. Dr. Russell discusses the importance of support networks and describes how babies learn how to manage emotions from their parents, how early care can influence their babies’ emotional learning. Brought to you by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome (NCSBS).

Brought to you by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome (NCSBS).

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the NCSBS.

Follow the NCSBS on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson, pediatrician, Chief Medical Officer of Before Brands, Author of the Book Mama Doc Medicine, and a popular voice for healthcare advocacy online. Dr. Swanson discusses how she became a pioneer in the digital medical world when she started her blog Seattle Mama Doc through Seattle Children’s Hospital, the first-ever pediatrician-authored blog on behalf of a hospital. Dr. Swanson discusses the recent increase in misinformation online, the evidence-based effectiveness of vaccines, the alarming rise of food allergies, normal infant crying and other topics important to families of new babies. Brought to you by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome (NCSBS).

Brought to you by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome (NCSBS).

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the NCSBS.

Follow the NCSBS on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.

In this episode, we talk with filmmaker Chris Baier, whose documentary film “Like, Share, Comment and Subscribe” tells the story of Josh Sorrels, a man, who at nearly 40 years old, is learning to come to peace with his life as a survivor of Shaken Baby Syndrome. Chris talks about how he first found Josh through his YouTube channel and the emotional video Josh posted that sent them on the journey to discover the significance of Josh’s surviving Shaken Baby Syndrome. Chris describes what this 7-year project has meant to him, how his friendship with Josh continues to grow, and how he hopes this documentary shines a light on how Shaken Baby Syndrome affects families. Brought to you by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Brought to you by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome (NCSBS).

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the NCSBS.

Follow the NCSBS on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.

In this episode, we talk with Danielle Letourneau and Kimberly Honchell of the Relief Crafters or America, a volunteer-run group of over 50,000 people that provide handcrafted fiber products to groups who serve human or animal needs. The Relief Crafters of America have donated nearly 3,000 infant hats and booties to support the National Center’s CLICK for Babies campaign that provides families of new babies with a donated cap or pair of booties along with the Period of PURPLE Crying program. Find out how the online group grew from a handful to more than 50,000 members in just 2 years, hear about some of the fun campaigns they’ve worked on and discover how they came to support the CLICK for Babies campaign. Brought to you by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Brought to you by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome (NCSBS).

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the NCSBS.

Follow the NCSBS on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.

In this episode of the Attention on Prevention podcast, we talk to Dr. Natasha Shur, a medical geneticist at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Dr. Shur describes the role of a medical geneticist in abuse cases and how they fill a role within a multi-disciplinary team of doctors in diagnosing abusive head trauma and abuse in general. Dr. Shur warns of the misuse of random genetic testing in abuse cases and how she is seeing cases where misinterpreted data has led to children being misdiagnosed with a genetic disorder without proper testing. We do apologize for the few moments of audio distortion. Brought to you by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Brought to you by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome (NCSBS).

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the NCSBS.

Follow the NCSBS on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.

In this episode, we talk with Matthew Torbenson, a Deputy District Attorney in Milwaukee County and the Team Captain of the Child Protection Advocacy Unit in the District Attorney’s Office. Mr. Torbenson talks about what makes Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma cases unique and the comprehensive process his office takes to prepare for SBS/AHT cases. Mr. Torbenson describes the perceived “courtroom controversy” surrounding SBS/AHT cases and what he thinks is important for prosecutors to know when educating jurors and judges on both the science behind SBS/AHT and the teams of professionals who worked together to come to SBS/AHT as the sound medical diagnosis. Brought to you by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Brought to you by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome (NCSBS).

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the NCSBS.

Follow the NCSBS on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.

In this episode of the Attention on Prevention Podcast we sit down with Dr. Catherine Ayoub, licensed psychologist and nurse practitioner from the Brazelton Touchpoints Center and the Executive Director of the Family Connections Project at Children’s Hospital in Boston. Dr. Ayoub is also an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and is the Director of Research of the Children and the Law Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Ayoub describes how trauma experienced in childhood affects us emotionally and physically throughout our lives. Dr. Ayoub explains the concept of positive parenting, how its practice helps reduce the adverse effects children feel as a result of experienced trauma and provides resources for parents on how to learn more about positive parenting. Brought to you by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Brought to you by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome (NCSBS).

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the NCSBS.

Follow the NCSBS on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.