When soothing succeeds: Simulating a risk for repeated shaking in abusive head trauma in infants

To investigate the observation that perpetrators of abusive head trauma engage in repeated shakings because shaking "works" to quiet the infant.

Sixty first-time parent couples individually cared for a programmable model infant in two consecutive 7-min trials. After six minutes of consolable followed by inconsolable crying, parents selected one of three soothing techniques. For trial one, parents were randomized to a "Successful" or "Failed" Soothing Condition. Whether the soothing technique was repeated after trial two was determined by the study investigators. Parents rated their frustration after each trial.

As hypothesized, parents were more likely to repeat a soothing technique that "worked" in trial one. Compared to fathers, mothers reported more frustration when soothing failed.

That caregivers were more likely to repeat a successful soothing technique converges with perpetrator confessions that crying cessation after shaking may be a reason why shaking is used repeatedly in response to crying.