A New York doctor will go to prison for three years for violently shaking his baby to death. Dr. Neiman Ramjattan, who worked as a cardiologist in Bellport, expressed his deep regrets for his reckless actions.
According to the Suffolk County News Release, the father admitted in court that he's a monster for what he did to his baby. He acknowledged that he was a jerk for hurting and killing his four-week-old son. Ramjattan also expressed deep remorse for forcefully shaking the infant that led to his broken legs and caused bleeding in his soft brain.
"I hurt my child," the father told the judge during the sentencing.
Infant Was Hemorrhaging
In August 2020, Ramjattan was looking after his infant son who became fussy in his crib. In his frustration, the father picked up the boy and started violently shaking him without noticing that his legs broke.
The baby was brought to Stony Brook Hospital where he was treated for fractures and brain bleed. Doctors also determined that the baby was hemorrhaging thus he could not survive the extent of his injuries from the violent shaking.
The hospital alerted Child Protective Services on the baby's case, prompting the authorities to arrest the boy's father. Two months following his arrest, the court convicted Ramjattan of endangering the child's welfare and reckless assault.
Apart from this prison sentence, Justice Timothy Mazzei also ordered that Ramjattan must be subjected to supervised probation for another three years once he gets out of prison. His lawyers did not issue any statement after the sentencing.
Shaken Baby Syndrome
The case is but another incident of the shaken baby syndrome, a tragedy that victimizes more than 1,400 babies a year. Experts said that this is a serious form of abuse by frustrated parents or caregivers.
Babies are at risk of injuries or death from a violent shake because they still have underdeveloped and weak neck muscles. Some parents do not realize that if they shake their infants too much, even with no intention to harm, their large and heavy heads would move back and forth and cause a strain on their necks.
Thus, violently shaking a baby could lead to a hematoma, hemorrhage, direct trauma in the brain, breaking off of the nerve cell branches, and damage to the brain cells. The abuse may also lead to fractures in the skull, the ribs, the collarbone and the limbs given the fragile size of the baby.
Sadly, most cases of shaken baby syndrome are 100 percent preventable if only parents or caregivers are aware of the risks. Parents who are frustrated and stressed should instead walk away from the situation if they can't control a fussy and crying baby. It's better to seek help from someone trusted, with a calm demeanor, than to deal with the situation head-on.
Those minding the child must also check for indicators of why the baby can't stop crying. The baby could be sick and might need a doctor's attention.
