Shaken baby syndrome is a serious form of child abuse when the caregiver violently shakes the baby. In most cases, the parent angrily shakes the baby when they will not stop crying. The baby’s large head with weak neck muscles causes the brain to bounce around against the skull. This can lead to bruising of the brain, swelling, damage, increased pressure, and bleeding in the brain. What these parents do not realize is that even shaking the baby for 5 seconds can cause permanent brain damage or death.