A Campbell County man has been arrested and charged with aggravated malicious wounding after allegedly shaking his 10-week-old baby. Campbell County Sheriff’s deputies say that 31-year-old Anthony Williams, the father of the child, shook the infant and left it with head trauma last month. The baby is recovering from the brain injury at a local hospital, though the long-term effects of the head injury are unknown.
An official with the Sheriff’s Office said that crimes involving shaken baby syndrome are all too common in Campbell County – with cases coming to their attention multiple times a year. In many cases, the assailant is the child’s father.
A Virginia health official explained that head trauma is a common result of shaken baby syndrome, as the child’s brain is slammed against its skull during abuse. Unlike older children and adults, young babies are top-heavy and do not have the neck muscles to prevent damage. One out of three shaken babies will die from the injuries, one out of three will be permanently injured, and one out of three will physically recover from the abuse.