The Children’s Home Society, or C-H-S warns people not to shake their babies. The agency offered a free course Saturday to alert people to the risks of Shaken Baby Syndrome. The course is in response to a baby who died recently after being shaken in Fort Myers.

The national information support and referral service says ten to 12 percent of all deaths due to abuse and neglect are attributable to shaken baby syndrome. C-H-S Case Manager, Katie Black, says the course will teach parents and caregivers alternative methods of dealing with children.

“A lot of times parents feel like if the baby’s crying, they should be holding the child. Its definitely okay to put the baby in a setting where they’re safe, and walk away until the parent or the caregiver feels their frustration level going down a little bit.

Black says she will discuss parenting tips along with ways to recognize Shaken Baby Syndrome and how to prevent it. The course is Saturday morning at 10 at the Children’s Home Society Office in Fort Myers.

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The Shaken Baby Alliance reported in 1998 that between 1000 and 3000 children are diagnosed with shaken baby syndrome every year. Parents and caregivers who attend the course will learn about the hazards of shaking babies. Children’s Home Society case manager, Katie Black, says stressed parents who resort to shaking their children can unknowingly hurt them.

“Some parents end up shaking the baby, not with an intent to harm the child, but purely out of frustration that they’re feeling. Let everyone know that has a child that you never ever ever shake a baby. Never shake a baby.”

Black says shaking can bruise a baby’s brain, possibly resulting in brain damage or death. The course is tomorrow (Saturday) morning at the Children’s Home Society office in Fort Myers. The organization is one of the largest non-profit child welfare agencies in Florida. It’s cared for abused children for more than one hundred years.