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Craig F. McCabe, MD, PhD; Sean P. Donahue, MD, PhD

Arch Ophthalmol. 2000;118:373-377.

Objective  To study ocular and nonocular signs of patients diagnosed as having "shaken baby syndrome" and determine prognostic indicators for vision and mortality.

Methods  Medical records of child abuse cases involving bilateral retinal hemorrhages were reviewed. Particular attention was paid to visual function and pupillary light reaction at the time of admission as well as the location of retinal hemorrhages, neuroimaging findings, ventilatory requirement, and associated skeletal injuries. These findings were correlated with visual prognosis and mortality.

Results  Thirty consecutive cases met the criteria for review. At the initial visit, mean age of the children was 9.3 months (range, 1-39 months) and 12 children (40%) had at least fix-and-follow vision. Preretinal and intraretinal hemorrhages (93% [n = 28] and 100% [n = 30]) were more common than vitreous hemorrhage (10% [n = 3]). Subdural hematomas were detected in 21 patients (70%). Twenty children (67%) had seizures and 16 (53%) required ventilatory support; bruises and long bone fractures were seen in 14 (47%) and 4 (13%) children, respectively. Eight patients died. All patients with nonreactive pupils on presentation died, while all patients with a pupillary light reaction lived (P<.001). Six (86%) of 7 patients with midline shift died, whereas 21 (91%) of 23 with no midline shift lived (P<.001). At follow-up, retinal hemorrhages had resolved in nearly all children by 4 months, and 16 children (73%) had at least fix-and-follow vision. Ventilatory requirement was associated with poorer vision (P<.01).

Conclusions  Nonreactive pupils and midline shift of the brain structures correlate highly with mortality. Ventilatory requirement, but not visual acuity on presentation, predicts visual outcome.

From the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (Drs McCabe and Donahue), Pediatrics (Dr Donahue), and Neurology (Dr Donahue), Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tenn.

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