Any Savvy Auntie who's rolled up her sleeves and pitched in to babysit her baby niece or nephew knows how stressful caring for an infant can be. For some parents, the stress can be just too much.

A recent study has reported a significant rise in the cases of shaken-baby syndrome since the start of the recession. Led by child-abuse expert Dr. Rachel Berger, scientists at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh found that the number of incidents has risen 9.3 percent a month since December 2007. "This is a perfect storm in a bad way, where we have economic stressors that are causing the removal of social-service resources for preventing and addressing child abuse," Berger told Time.

Dr. Berger also pointed out that the recession is not the direct cause of the increase, but the two are associated. Other stressful events could cause a similar outcome.

So what's an auntie to do? At Savvy Auntie, we believe our most important role is to support the parents of our nieces and nephews. If you see the parents of your niece or nephew struggling, offer to lend a hand. Every little bit counts, and we're sure they will appreciate an extra hand (especially if its free babysitting!).