4 Types of Birth Injuries in Newborns
According to the CDC, seven in every thousand children get injured at birth. For any parent witnessing a birth injury can be both scary and devastating. The thought of their baby getting hurt and needing intensive care can be highly rattling. However, these injuries also lead to other challenges, including a massive lifestyle shift. Therefore, while the thought of your baby getting hurt at birth may intimidate you, it is equally essential to know what types of injuries there are. No two are alike, and while some heal after a few days, others stay for life. When you know what you're up against, it's easier to seek specific help. For your understanding, here's what you need to do:
What To Do If Your Child Has An Injury?
Most of these wounds occur due to medical neglect and the team's carelessness in charge. The events from labor to delivery are a delicate process. Each step has to be carefully monitored to ensure the safety of both the mother and child. Birth injuries can be complicated. While some are noticeable at birth, others take time to develop. For instance, cerebral palsy is not apparent right after your child is born.
You may notice signs and symptoms of nerve damage after some time. But, no matter when you start observing that your baby has unusual behavior, struggles to perform essential functions, and has uncoordinated movement, this indicates a birth injury, and you can sue the hospital in charge.
By contacting a professional lawyer who has years of dealing with similar law suit cases, you can build a claim against the medical professional for endangering your baby. It is also a good idea to go after these experts. Birth injuries require care and treatment, which can be financially taxing, and the money you win from the settlement can help you.
What Injuries Impact The Baby?
A baby's health is dependent on two features. The mother's overall condition during labor and how medical professionals handle the birth. If the mother cannot have a smooth labor and struggle to deliver the child, that can be dangerous. At the same time, healthcare practitioners use various medical apparatus to facilitate birth.
These include tools like forceps to clamp onto the baby and gently pull them through the birth canal. However, an injury can happen when an unnatural amount of force is exerted, the baby is far too big for the birth canal, or the mother is not helped with troubled and shallow breathing. The following are examples of these extenuating circumstances:
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Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is a neurological condition when the brain receives low oxygen levels. Since this impacts the development of a child's brain, it can lead to poor muscle tone, impaired motor skills, and staggered movement. The most common cause of cerebral palsy is when the fetus cannot get sufficient oxygen during birth due to the mother's low blood pressure and oxygen saturation. A child with cerebral palsy may have learning disorders, low bone density, and troubled hearing. There is no cure for this condition apart from helping the child adjust to their body through physical therapy.
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Amniotic Fluid Embolism (AFE)
Although AFE is a rare condition that occurs once in every 40,000 cases, it is still a severe medical complication. This condition occurs when the baby's amniotic fluid enters the fetal cells or into the mother's bloodstream putting both lives in danger. Suppose a doctor detects that the amniotic fluid leaks during labor. They need to administer an emergency C section.
While the exact cause is yet to be understood, medical experts speculate it may be due to trauma during labor or the mother being Middle Aged with a complicated pregnancy. In other cases, it can occur if the hospital induces labor instead of waiting for a natural contraction or forcefully removing the baby with clamps or a vacuum causing a tear. The lack of oxygen resulting from this fluids interference can lead to severe brain damage in your baby and may even be fatal. At the same time, if it enters the mom's bloodstream, it can also be lethal.
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Shoulder Dystocia
Shoulder dystocia is a birth injury in which the baby's shoulder gets stuck in the birth canal. Generally, the baby is lodged near the pelvis bone and can prevent the mother from safely pushing the baby out. As a result, the baby experiences a severe loss in oxygen as it remains stuck in that region. As a result, the doctor has to act fast and deliver the baby to prevent excessive loss of oxygen, which can suffocate them. A medical expert has to act fast and pull the baby out safely, or it can lead to the child's death.
However, in their attempt to rescue the baby, the extra pulling, pushing, and moving with a high force can cause the baby's shoulder to dislocate, leading to nerve damage. This may result in conditions like Erb's palsy when the nerve damage is far too intense and can physically and mentally impact the baby, especially later in life. Fixing a baby's fractured shoulder requires support to immobilize the limb and, in some cases, surgery to correct the shoulder placement.
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Subgaleal Hematoma
A subgaleal hematoma is a severe head injury that can become life-threatening. This occurs when the doctor performs the improper vacuum suction technique, which can cause the baby's skull to get sucked in tight. Consequently, the veins running through your child's head may be ruptured, causing blood to pool between the skill and the scalp. In addition, this new pressure can injure the baby's brain. If treated right away, it can lead to many neurological and developmental motor problems, including endangering the child's life.
Final Thoughts
As a parent, seeing your child in pain is the worst feeling. However, there are times when the circumstances are not your doing, and you have to deal with the aftermath of a negligent team. This is where birth injuries come into the picture. These wounds can result from the medical staff either working harshly with your newborn child or ignoring the mother completely. Both results in a disaster can lead to fatal consequences.
The baby has a high chance of developing cerebral palsy, impacted by their amniotic fluid, experiencing shoulder dystocia, and even subgaleal hematoma. Unless these conditions get addressed right away, getting your baby help and safely bringing them home will become challenging.
