The Seventh International Conference on Shaken Baby Syndrome September 12-15, 2004
The Seventh International Conference on Shaken Baby Syndrome, held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada September 12-15, 2004 was a wonderful and successful training opportunity for all. This conference brought Canada and the United States together for the first time in a combined effort to prevent shaken baby syndrome and educate professionals and parents around the world. Hospital Sainte Justine, Quebec, Canada, and The Children's and Women's Health Center of British Columbia, Canada partnered with the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome to bring a dynamic and powerful group of presenters together for this conference. Some of the highlighted speakers included:- Carol Berkowitz, MD, FAAP
President-Elect, American Academy of Pediatrics - Alex V. Levin, MD, MHSc, FAAP, FAAO, FRCSC
The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto - Deborah Eappen, MD
Mother of Matty, Victim of SBS - Victor Vieth, JD
Winona State University - Brian Holmgren, JD
Office of the District Attorney General, Nashville, Tennessee
The conference was held at the Delta Centre-Ville, a spectacular hotel and conference setting. We had 560 participants from 13 nations representing many diverse backgrounds including France, Estonia, England, Denmark, Australia, Japan, the United States and Canada. The Coalition on Shaken Baby Syndrome provided assistance in bringing family members to the conference and we had an amazing 57 family members attend. A breakdown of the conference demographics:
| Discipline | Numbers |
|---|---|
| Investigation and Law Enforcement | 65 |
| Medical - Nursing | 34 |
| Medical - Physicians | 153 |
| Social Work and Mental Health | 59 |
| Other | 28 |
| Victim Family Member | 57 |
| Investigation and Law Enforcement | 64 |
| Presenters | 100 |
| Total Registrants | 560 |
| Prevention Institute | 126 |
| Mock Trial | 210 |
| Canadian Participants | 206 |
| US Participants | 275 |
A Mock Trial was held on Sunday, September 12. It brought 210 professionals for an instructional and entertaining case on shaken baby syndrome. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police sponsored this event. Expert witnesses included: Randell Alexander, MD, PhD, (Atlanta, GA), Jean Claude DeCarie (Montreal, QC), Michel Pilon (Sainte Joseph du Lac, QC), Carole Jenny, MD, MBA (Providence, RI).
Our Prevention Institute on Wednesday, September 15 included 125 professionals and family members interested in the prevention programs found throughout the United States and Canada. 8 speakers highlighted their efforts in the prevention of shaken baby syndrome and gave step-by-step instructions on how to start a new project in other communities. They included:
- Shaken Baby Prevention: The Upstate New York SBS Educational Project
- Ohio's Community and Hospital-based Shaken Baby Syndrome Education
- Shaken Baby Syndrome Legislation
- Period of PURPLE Crying Program, Research and Intervention Using Home Visitor Programs
- Dads 101 in Correctional Facilities: Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome
- Perinatal Prevention Program of SBS (PPPSBS) with a Focus on Anger Management
- Wisconsin's Community-Based SBS Education