Hvorfor ryster mit barn? - Why Is my child shaking?

Det er nat, kl. er lidt over 04, Arthur er 36 timer gammel. Jeg er alene med ham på en hospitalsstue. Lyset er slukket og jeg står og kigger på Arthur, der sover i hospitalsvuggen. Hans krop bevæger sig, stille sitrer den. Det er som om en rystelse gentagende går gennem hans lille krop. Jeg kører sengen ud på hospitalsgangen. Lyset er dæmpet og der er helt stille. Midt på gangen er et kontor, hvor nattevagten sidder. Jeg kører hospitalsvuggen hen ad gangen... Igen ryster Arthurs lille krop. En sygeplejerske kommer ud fra kontoret. Jeg spørger hende forsigtigt, i frygt for at lyde dum: "Hvorfor ryster mit barn?"

Sygeplejersken kigger på Arthur og hans krop ryster igen. "Han har bare et umodent nervesystem" svarer hun.

Its in the middle of the night just past 4 o’clock. Arthur is only 36 hours old. I am alone with him in our room at the maternity ward. The light is turned off and I am looking at Arthur who is sleeping in his hospital crib. His body is moving, he is quivering. It looks likes the shakes are repeatedly shakes through his tiny body. I rolled his hospital crib out in the hall. The lights are dimmed and its quite. There is an office in the middle of the hall were the night shift sits. Arthurs body starts to shake again as I roll his hospital crib along the hall. A nurse exits the office and apporaches me and eventhough I am afraid to sound stupid, I ask: “Why is my child shaking?”

The nurse glances at Arthur and his body starts to shake again. “He has an immature nervous system, that’s all.”