Kasali A.A¹, Ojo-Rowland O.T¹, Mustapha J.M², Adeloye V.A², Musa F.B¹, Oyedele M.O², Adeoti S.G¹, Agwu C³, Adeboye M.A.N^4,5

¹Faculty of Clinical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria

²Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.

³Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago

⁴University of Ilorin, Ilorin, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria

⁵National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, Ijanikin, Lagos, Nigeria

Corresponding Author: Kasali A.A, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.

Citation: Kasali A.A, Ojo-Rowland O.T, Mustapha J.M, Adeloye V.A, Musa F.B, Oyedele M.O, Adeoti S.G, Agwu C, Adeboye M.A.N, (2026). Assessment of Knowledge of Shaken Baby Syndrome Among Women of Reproductive Age In Ilorin: A Cross-Sectional Study. Int J Pediatr Adv Life Supp. 1(1),1-8.

Copyright: Â© 2026, Kasali A.A, et al., This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Abstract:

Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS), also referred to as abusive head trauma, is a severe form of non-accidental injury that predominantly affects infants and young children, often resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and awareness of SBS among women of reproductive age in the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. A cross-sectional analytical design was employed, with data collected from 388 consenting participants using a validated questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between socio-demographic variables and knowledge of SBS.

Findings revealed that 70.36% of participants had no prior awareness of SBS, and 43.81% were unaware of its consequences. Although occupation was significantly associated with general awareness, factors such as age, marital status, education level, and number of children were significantly associated with knowledge of SBS consequences. Younger women and those without children demonstrated higher awareness, possibly due to greater access to digital information sources. Notably, education level did not consistently predict awareness, highlighting the complexity of knowledge acquisition.

The study underscores a substantial gap in awareness of SBS among women of reproductive age, emphasizing the need for targeted educational interventions. Social media and healthcare-based education, particularly during antenatal and postnatal visits, were identified as effective channels for information dissemination. Improving awareness is critical for preventing SBS and reducing its devastating outcomes.

Keywords: Shaken Baby Syndrome, Abusive Head Trauma, Women of Reproductive Age, Nigeria.