I don't think it is fake. And unless you count the HORRIBLE music in the background, I'd say it isn't child abuse either. The kid isn't hurt.

Besides, babies tend to be FREAKISHLY strong at that age.

Call me crazy... but if you're going to use your baby as a juggling prop... maybe you should clear the area of furniture/tv etc...
and I dunno, put down a safety mat?

(And here I used to get upset at my x for tossing my daughter up in the air... once)

I would say it is abuse. The danger is there. I can see shaken baby syndrome, as well as dislocated joints. This guy is so careless and irresponsible.

There are enough dangers kids get into on their own. And I'll bet the mother was the one filming.

What the hell is wrong with people?

but if you seen in the end the baby is happy. It is smiling and looks like it enjoyed it. I remember being small and twirlled I love it, my sister and I would run to whoever was doing it for our turn and then wait until it was our turn again.

I think the music was some foreign version of the song Kung Fu Fighting.

As far as the baby swinging, I did cringe when he swung it by one arm. How much pressure does it take to dislocate the shoulder?

Also, there is some danger. Sure, I enjoyed being swung around also, as a young child, but there is always that risk of the kid slipping from your grasp.

Once, our then 3 year old daughter ran to Husby and he tossed her up in the air. She went higher than she ever had before, and flipped over, coming down head first. He caught her, but I do believe that was the end of that game.

This was shown on Inside Edition last week. They said it originated in Afghanistan, and it could be fake.

Here's a little more info.

i really think it's fake ... though i gotta say, it's an amazing fake job. at some moments, the movements of the baby's legs and the shadows on them don't look quite right; like they aren't getting the right amount of motion blur. and, at 1:48 of the video, where 'dad' turns his back to the camera and swings the baby over his head. every time, the baby looks up to completely show his face - even though a couple times his/her bottom lifts up over his/her head. i'm no pediatrist, but i think that's a very unnatural bend that baby is making with his/her spine.

... so that's my report. a little hard to believe such an expert feat of special effects could come from a place like afghanistan, but geniuses could come from anywhere.

Yeah, right. Totally fake. I saw his hand moving under the table.

If it wasn't fake, the baby loves it. It might be retarded now, but it loves it.

I don't see anything that looks faked in there. restlesschicken, children at that age are very flexible, and the reason the kids bottom is moving above the head is because of the momentum, and the way that the dad is tossing.

I wouldn't say that it is abuse in and of itself, but it is very risky. There are many possible ways that it could go badly.

ok, this is what I know. I watched a show once on the idiot box and it was about weird religions.
One religion worshipped snakes. Another religion trows baby's in de ocean/waves and the baby's loved it. The newborns seem to be very comfortable under water (Nirvana - Nevermind CD Cover).
Another religion swings baby's around on the beach just like the video. It's a baby welcoming ritual. All moves are official moves in that religion. God knows what they call themselves. I'm sure the baby dislocates one or two body parts, but it's considered normal. Freedom of religion. Insane.
It's amazing what you pick up watching regular tv.
I see carpet, ugly curtain, wife beater, child abuser in a Borat kinda country.

Eeeeeek! It made me cringe. Talk about nanny elbow!

Seriously, if that was not fake, the man would have a shower of throw up about :30s in.

That's what I was thinking. Something seemed fake about it, like they snuck in a 3-d model of the baby at some point. Its movement seemed a bit off--kind of surreal. But the biggest tell was the baby not screaming its head off and puking at some point. Plus the guy seemed like he was going through some prepared motions--not really being careful. If it's fake, it's a good job for an amateur. If it's real, at least no one got hurt.

Incidentally, here's a milder, and more touching commercial a friend of mine was in with his son a few years back:

<a href='http://www.plime.com/redir.p?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eAgSvV220s' class='plime' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'><b>flash video</b></a>

Saying that the baby was safe since there was no harm and it's OK because the baby is smiling when it's all over is like saying it's perfectly OK for me to let my toddler walk on the roof because she hasn't fallen off yet and really likes it.

I'm sure that's not the last time this guy did that.

It's potentially SERIOUSLY dangerous not to metion a baby's joints/spine/neck are barely developed enough to handle the weight of the rest of his own body let alone centrifugal forces..

Dad's an idiot.

Ugh, I couldn't watch this. Even if the kid is enjoying it, who the hell starts slinging a baby around like that?

My young daughter just peeked over my shoulder and said "Mommy! He's going to hurt the baby." My child has more sense than this parent.

I cringed through the entire duration of the video.

i had to stop watching it when he was making the baby do flips.
all i could imagine was an arm coming off.