How To Respond If Your Newborn Suffers A Birth Injury

(Babychick.com)

Most expectant parents never imagine that their child will suffer a birth injury during delivery, especially in wealthy nations like the United States. While most deliveries are completed without any major complications, birth injuries are still a daily occurrence. Birth injuries vary in severity, with many common ones that heal on their own with no further complications, along with more serious birth injuries that can result in permanent health issues for the child.

Learning that something went wrong during your child’s delivery is incredibly stressful. If your family is in this situation, you may be wondering what you should do next and what your child’s future may look like.

Here are some things to keep in mind if your child suffered a birth injury in the delivery room:

Common Complications Leading To Birth Injuries

There are several different types of complications that can result in a birth injury. Some of these complications are unavoidable, but occasionally, complications caused by human error lead to birth injuries.

According to Stanford Children’s Health, a few of the most common birth injury complications include:

●     Heavy birth weight - Babies weighing over 8 or 9 pounds are more susceptible to suffering a birth injury.

●     Premature birth - A baby born before 37 weeks is considered premature. These babies are more fragile and thus more easily injured during delivery.

●     Abnormal delivery - For example, delivering a baby buttocks-first instead of head-first (also known as a “breech”).

●     Dystocia - A medical term meaning “difficult childbirth”. Common causes include large or awkwardly positioned babies, a small pelvis in the mother, or by the uterus and cervix failing to normally contract and expand.

●     Cephalopelvic disproportion - When the size and shape of the mother’s pelvis are not adequate for a vaginal birth.

●     Prolonged labor - Longer labor periods have a higher risk of complications and birth injuries.

Common Birth Injuries

Most birth injuries clear up within a few weeks. Some of these common and less serious injuries include:

●     Caput succedaneum - This involves major swelling of the soft tissues in the baby’s scalp. In most cases, the swelling disappears within a few days with no further complications.

●     Subconjunctival hemorrhage - This sounds much more serious than it actually is. A subconjunctival hemorrhage is the breakage of small blood vessels in the baby’s eye, which can result in a red band on one or both eyes. However, no damage is done to the eyes. The redness generally disappears within a week to 10 days.

●     Fractures - A fracture may seem like a serious injury, but infants recover remarkably well to most minor fractures. The collarbone is the most commonly fractured bone during childbirth. Amazingly, the infant’s body forms new bone and a firm lump usually develops on the collarbone within 10 days. However, more serious breaks can have long-term complications.

More serious birth injuries can result in lifelong disabilities for the child. Some of the more serious types of birth injuries include:

Brain Injuries

Infant brain injuries can happen during childbirth if a complication involving a lack of oxygen arises. A lack of brain oxygen can have lifelong consequences for a child. Cerebral palsy is the most common brain injury suffered due to oxygen deprivation during childbirth. Other common causes of cerebral palsy include maternal infections, infant infections, and infant stroke.

For parents who have given birth to a child with a serious birth injury like cerebral palsy, it’s normal to wonder how this happened and how it may have been preventable. Unfortunately, sometimes these injuries only occur because of medical malpractice. Some of the common human errors that can result in a birth brain injury include:

●     Failure to properly identify and treat an infection in the mother or child

●     Opting for a vaginal birth when a c-section could have prevented complications

●     Mistakes made while using assistive birth tools like vacuum extractors and forceps

●     Failure to notice and care for a prolapsed umbilical cord

Muscle Injuries

Birth complications can also lead to serious muscle injuries and permanent disorders. While minor breaks and bruising is a normal part of childbirth, more severe trauma can end result in more serious health problems.

Some common muscle-related birth injuries include:

Brachial Plexus Injuries

Located in the upper arm, the brachial plexus is a nerve network that can be easily damaged during difficult childbirths. Many brachial plexus injuries heal within a week or so, but serious damage to the brachial plexus can cause weakness and nerve disorders in the affected arm.

Erb’s Palsy

A type of brachial plexus injury involving a rupture of nerves. Most babies with Erb’s palsy recover with the help of physical therapy. Parents can help this process by working with their child daily to restore function in the affected arm.

Klumpke’s Palsy

The most rare type of muscle-related birth injury, Klumpke’s palsy involves injuries to the lower section of brachial plexus nerves. Many cases of this disorder clear up on their own, but sometimes surgery may be necessary. Like the other types of muscle injuries, physical therapy and daily parental assistance can usually help the child recover function.

What To Do If Your Child Suffered A Serious Birth Injury

If you were worried about a relatively minor birth injury, hopefully this post has helped ease your concerns. But if your child has been diagnosed with a more serious condition like cerebral palsy or brain damage, you may be stressed out about what to do next and how to get your child the support they need.

When a birth injury happens due to medical malpractice, it’s important for the family to seek the support they need. Here are some steps you can take if you think your child’s injury may have been the result of medical malpractice:

●     Contact your doctor to get an idea of what may have caused the birth injury. He or she may be able to correct the problem.

●     Contact your local medical licensing board. If filing a malpractice claim is appropriate, they may give you guidance about what to do next.

●     Contact another medical professional and have them do a medical assessment. A doctor in the same field can evaluate your medical records and determine what may have caused your child’s birth injury.

●     If the medical assessment finds that malpractice may have caused the injury, consider contacting an experienced medical malpractice lawyer in your area.

 Author Bio:

Michael Monheit, Esq is one of the founding lawyers of Monheit Law, P.C., a firm dedicated to advocating for injury victims and their families, often helping them through difficult times in their lives. The firm specializes in birth injury lawsuits, brain damage cases, brachial plexus injuries, negligence and medical malpractice lawsuits.