Birth Injury

Birth trauma or Birth Injury refers to any damage or injury that an infant sustains during the process of birthing due to forces like traction or compression or factors that restrict oxygen intake or blood flow. In the United States, there is an average of seven to nine birth injuries per thousand live births. However, these injuries add to fewer than two percent of neonatal stillbirths and deaths. Common birth injuries include cephalohematoma, cerebral palsy, caput succedaneum, bruising and traumatic brain injury.

Know All About Birth Injury

Birth trauma or Birth Injury refers to any damage or injury that an infant sustains during the process of birthing due to forces like traction or compression or factors that restrict oxygen intake or blood flow. In the United States, there is an average of seven to nine birth injuries per thousand live births. However, these injuries add to fewer than two percent of neonatal stillbirths and deaths. Common birth injuries include cephalohematoma, cerebral palsy, caput succedaneum, bruising and traumatic brain injury.

An infant sustains injury during transit through the birth canal. The probability of injury increases when the fetus is too large (which commonly occurs when the mother is diabetic) or the birth canal is too small or is not idyllically positioned before birth, like with breech (buttocks first) delivery. Often gynecologists opt for caesarean birth in order to avoid compli9cations from these factors. However, cesarean section is risky as well.

Birth of pre- mature babies is even more problematic. Babies born before 37 weeks of gestation have fragile bodies that may develop injury more easily. Another factor is prolonged labor pain.

Minor bruising or swelling of a newborn baby in some areas of body after vaginal birth is common. This type of birth injury requires no treatment as it heals on its own. Forceps can leave temporary bruises or marks on the head and face. Caput succedaneum refers to highly pronounced swelling of the soft scalp tissues. Babies delivered through vacuum extraction have this condition, along with a scalp laceration and, sometimes, bruising and usually the swelling disappear in few days.

There is high possibility that one or both of the eyes have bright red band around the iris because of subconjunctival hemorrhage, the rupture of small blood vessels in the baby’s eye. This is common and causes no damage to the eyes. The redness usually absorbs in a period of a week to ten days.

Check out few other categories of birth injuries:

Head Injury

In normal birth procedures, firstly, the head comes through the birth canal and is subjected to the pressure of delivery. Bruising and swelling are not serious and heals within a period of few days. In cephalohematoma, soft lump caused by pooled blood occurs over the surface of one of the skull plates but there is thick fibrous covering below. It does not require any treatment and cures within few weeks or months. There is high possibility that a child may develop jaundice. Rarely, a skull bone fractures but unless it develops an indentation, it require no treatment and heals itself quickly.

Nerve Injury:

Pressure to facial nerves causes weakness in the muscles of face’s one side but it needs o treatment and recovers within few weeks. Nerves of one or both the arms may develop injury-producing paralysis of the hand or arm, weakness or brachial palsy. The injury in the nerve of diaphragm causes difficulty in breathing. Both of these injuries heal within few weeks without any treatment; however, surgery may be required to repair torn nerves.

Bone Injury:

In rare cases, bones may be fractured or broken during the process of delivery, most commonly the collarbone. Healing is usually fast and complete.

Brain Injury

Cerebral Palsy refers to the permanent brain injury that occurs during, shortly after or before the birth. It occurs due to an interruption of oxygen flow (asphyxia or hypoxia) or normal blood flow (ischemia) during or before labor, or during the first few hours of days after delivery or around the time of birth. It is described by a lack of muscle movement or control and symptoms including learning disorders, hearing and visual problems, seizures, hyperactivity and spasms.

Following factors contribute in the development of cerebral palsy:

placenta previa

vasa previa

group B strep infection

chorioamnionitis

preeclampsia

diabetes

maternal infection

preterm labor

pregnancy induced hypertension

Perinatal stroke occur between the first month of life and the twenty eighth week of gestation. This is associated with the activation of coagulations agents. According to a study conducted by University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), the frequency of rate of stroke in a newborn baby is equal to that of an elderly person. This may lead to long term neurological problems such as hyperactivity, epilepsy, cerebral palsy and language problems.

If your baby suffers from a birth injury due to medical negligence or malpractice, there is high probability that you may be eligible for monetary compensation. Contact an experienced birth injury attorney to file a birth injury lawsuit.