In-Hospital SBS Prevention Program

doctorThe Center offers training to implement a comprehensive, evidence-based program for hospitals based on an enhancement of the Dias model, the gold standard for In-Hospital SBS Prevention Education in the field. This is the only in-hospital program with documented effectiveness in reducing cases of SBS. In a 5 year study, it was found to reduce SBS cases by 47%.

The Center's program teaches maternity nurses about SBS and its prevention and supports them, in turn, to educate the parents of newborns they serve using one-on-one instruction by the nurse and enhanced by an SBS video and brochure which discusses SBS and key prevention messages.

The training is carried out by the Center's nurse educators who have extensive training background in SBS prevention. They utilize the 1-hour training curriculum developed by the Center and approved by the Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses for 1.2 nursing contact hours. The training has documented statistically significant increases in nurses' knowledge and is consistently rated highly (4.8 on a 5 point scale) by nurses for meeting its stated learning objectives. Data from telephone surveys of parents who received the in-hospital training have documented the program's efficacy on several measures.

Hospitals trained by the Center to date include:

  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center - Boston
  • Baystate Children's Hospital - Springfield
  • Harrington Hospital - Southbridge
  • Heywood Hospital - Gardner
  • Holyoke Medical Center - Holyoke
  • Lowell General Hospital - Lowell
  • Mary Lane Hospital - Ware
  • Hallmark Health Care - Melrose
  • Mercy Medical Center - Springfield
  • Milford Regional Medical Center- Milford
  • St. Vincent Hospital - Worcester
  • UMass Health Alliance - Leominster
  • UMass Memorial Medical Center - Worcester
  • Winchester Hospital - Winchester

inhospital2"Through the comprehensive, high-quality training provided to Heywood Hospital nurses by the MA SBS Prevention Center, we have been providing this life- saving information to the parents of newborns since 2003. We value the Center's expertise and enthusiastically recommend its services to other Massachusetts hospitals."

Daniel Moen, Immediate Past Chair, Massachusetts Hospital Association
President and CEO, Heywood Hospital, Gardner, MA

"Massachusetts Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Center has developed a professional teaching tool for nurse, as well as an easy-to-follow parent education program that has assisted our hospital in maintaining its commitment to shaken baby syndrome prevention education. The expert instruction and materials provided makes it very easy for any hospital to initiate a program."

Deborah Chouinard, RNC, MSN, Clinical Nurse Specialist
Center for Women and Infants, Saint Vincent Hospital, Worcester, MA

"You should give this (training) to all new parents".......... "My baby's a high-pitched screamer, but now I know how to handle it. The tips and video really helped"....... "Great guide for family and first-time parents"....."I use the brochure tips; they all really work!"

Comments from surveys of parents conducted 3 to 4 months post partum