The National Vital Statistics Report defines birth injury as “an impairment of the neonate’s body function or structure due to an adverse event that occurred at birth.”
These injuries include a wide range of minor to major injuries as a result of a number of mechanical forces during labor and delivery. Birth injuries are different from birth defects. Let’s take a closer look at some common birth injuries.
What are Some Common Birth Injuries?
Many common injuries to newborns are temporary and go away within a few days of birth.
Bruising or forceps marks. Some babies may experience bruising on the face or head due to the trauma of passing though the birth canal and contact with the mother’s pelvic bones and tissues. Also, forceps used in the delivery can leave temporary marks or bruises on the baby’s face and head. This is the most common type of birth injury.
Caput succedaneum. This is swelling of the soft tissues of the baby’s scalp and develops as the baby travels through the birth canal. Some babies will have bruising, and this swelling typically resolves in a few days without any issues. Vacuum extraction delivery is a common cause of this condition.
Fractures. A clavicle (collarbone) fracture is the most common fracture during labor and delivery. The collarbone can break when there’s difficulty delivering the baby’s shoulder or during a breech delivery. A baby with a fractured clavicle rarely moves his or her arm on the side of the break. Even so, this will usually heal quickly.
Cephalohematoma. This is an area of bleeding between the skull bone and its fibrous covering that frequently appears a few hours after birth. It’s a raised lump on the baby’s head that’s reabsorbs in a few weeks. If the area of bleeding is significant, some babies may develop jaundice as the red blood cells break down.
Subconjunctival hemorrhage. It’s a small blood vessel break in a baby’s eyes. With this, one or both of the eyes may have a bright red band in the white part of the eye. It’s quite common and doesn’t cause any damage. It will last about 10 days at the most.
Facial paralysis. During labor or birth, pressure on a baby’s face may injure the facial nerve and can also happen when forceps are used for delivery. The injury is often realized when the baby cries because there’s no movement on the side of the face with the injury, and the baby’s eye can’t close. If the nerve is merely bruised, the paralysis usually improves in a few weeks; however, if the nerve is torn, is may need to be repaired by surgery.
Brachial palsy. This is when there’s injury to the nerves that supply the arms and hands (brachial plexus). It happens a lot when there’s trouble delivering the baby’s shoulder (shoulder dystocia). A baby will lose the ability to flex and rotate the arm. If the injury caused bruising and swelling around the nerves, movement typically comes back in a few months. However, tearing of the nerve may cause permanent nerve damage.
Some birth injuries are more serious:
Cerebral Palsy. CP is a group of neurological disorders typically caused by brain damage. The condition impacts muscle control and tone and can lead to problems with movement, posture, and balance. The five main types of cerebral palsy are spastic, ataxic, athetoid (dyskinetic), hypotonic, and mixed type.
Hydrocephalus. This is a neurological disorder caused by a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the cavities within the brain. The extra fluid puts pressure on the brain by causing its cavities to widen. The pressure from the excess fluid can keep the baby’s brain from working properly and result in brain damage and sometimes death.
Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy. (HIE) is a severe brain injury and occurs when a baby’s brain doesn’t get enough oxygen or blood for a period of time during labor or delivery. HIE can be the result of newborn infections, heart disease, lung malformations, severe fetal anemia (low amount of blood cells that carry oxygen to the body), placental issues, and other problems.
What Causes Birth Injury?
The risk factors associated with birth trauma are related to the fetus, the pregnancy, the mother, and the use of instrumentation during delivery. A difficult birth or injury to the baby can happen due to the size of the baby or the position of the baby during labor and delivery. The conditions that may be connected to a difficult birth include the following:
Takeaway
If you or a loved one believes that something went wrong during a delivery, such as a birth injury, contact Buchanan Firm for a free consultation with an experienced Michigan medical malpractice attorney. We can discuss your situation if you believe your baby has been injured as the result of a medical error during your pregnancy.
Our firm proudly serves people all across Michigan, including major cities like Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Detroit, Lansing, Holland, St. Joe, and Ann Arbor, and rural towns such as Lowell, Ada, Fremont, Newaygo, Grand Haven, Rockford, and Cedar Springs. We will meet you after-hours, at home or in the hospital to accommodate you.