Brain Injury Australia is looking for help in shaping a new policy paper and program implementation regarding Inflicted Traumatic Brain Injury, also known as 'shaken baby syndrome'. They require volunteers to respond to a few questions regarding this phenomenon. Your identity will be protected.

A message from Nick Rushworth, Executive Officer, Brain Injury Australia

I am hoping that you may be able to help. As part of its funding agreement with the Australian Government's Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA), Brain Injury Australia produces a policy paper annually. The paper helps direct - via distribution to Australian Government ministers and senior departmental officials - policy formation and program implementation. The topic for 2009-10 is inflicted traumatic brain injury (ITBI)/ non-accidental head injury/ abusive head trauma/ shaken baby syndrome - the leading cause of death and disability in children who have been abused. Its intention is, in part, to inform the Council of Australian Governments’ "Protecting Children is Everyone’s Business: National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2009–2020." And it will also form the basis of Brain Inju ry Australia's injury prevention and awareness-raising campaigning for years to come.

(If you're interested in reading Brain Injury Australia's 2008-2009 policy paper - on falls-related traumatic brain injury, especially in older Australians - it is available to view or download at; http://www.braininjuryaustralia.org.au/publications.htm)

Brain Injury Australia would greatly appreciate it if you might consider responding to the questions, below. You can choose to do so either by e-mail, or Brain Injury Australia is happy to call you at a number - and time - you designate.

Brain Injury Australia asks for your frankness and, since Brain Injury Australia would seek to cite correspondence in the policy paper, could you please indicate whether you are willing for your name to be used.

For those unwilling, Brain Injury Australia guarantees the suppression of all potentially identifying information (your name, that of the organisation you might work for etc.)

The paper is due in March 2010, so I'd appreciate responses as promptly as you're able to supply.

1. Children admitted to hospital as a result of inflicted Traumatic Brain Injury/ abusive head trauma represent a small fraction of the number abused in this way. (Evidence from a survey conducted in the United States suggests that, for every child hospitalised with inflicted Traumatic Brain Injury/ abusive head trauma, as many as 150 other children in the community suffer head trauma from caregivers.) Australia's State and Territory child protection agencies do not necessarily collect information relating to the kinds of physical abuse that occur.  Brain Injury Australia would be very interested in hearing about any local research or data collections relating to the incidence of inflicted Traumatic Brain Injury/ abusive head trauma in the community - in notifications, substantiations of notifications etc.

2. COAG's "Protecting Children is Everyone’s Business..." is driven by an emphasis on early intervention as a means to abuse prevention.  Brain Injury Australia would be interested to hear both: of local injury/ abuse prevention programs, specifically targetting the shaking of an infant; and your experience or impressions of such programs - whether you think they may be effective, for example.

3. Brain Injury Australia is particularly interested in the content of parent education programs, such as those available via maternity units of major hospitals, birthing centres etc. If you know of such programs, Brain Injury Australia would be interested in whether the programs discuss the dangers in abusive head trauma, shaking a baby etc. And, if they do, who sets the curriculum and/or writes the contents for such programs?

4. Because the focus of Brain Injury Australia's work is advocacy on behalf of victim-survivors of brain injury, we would be very interested to hear from or be put in contact with adult victim-survivors of inflicted Traumatic Brain Injury/ abusive head trauma, or the family members/ carers of children who've been abused in this way.

5. There is good research evidence to suggest as many as 1 in 3 cases of inflicted Traumatic Brain Injury/ abusive head trauma are misdiagnosed in hospital. Brain Injury Australia's policy paper will examine ways in which medical and other hospital professionals might receive some training to better enable them to correctly identify inflicted Traumatic Brain Injury/ abusive head trauma. Brain Injury Australia would be interested in hearing from child protection workers or others working in a community setting about whether similar kinds of training might be useful, worthwhile in that context. And, if so, any suggestions from you about what would such training might involve would be greatly appreciated.

6. Inflicted traumatic brain injury, non-accidental head injury, abusive head trauma and shaken baby syndrome are names used for the same, or related, injuries. Brain Injury Australia would be interested to hear whether you have a preference between them, and the reasons why.

Please forward responses to, or contact Brain Injury Australia at; Nick Rushworth Executive Officer Brain Injury Australia PO Box 220 Marrickville NSW 1475

Ph: 61 (0) 417 373 622

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Web: www.braininjuryaustralia.org.au

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