How Birth Injuries Happen And What You Should Do

If you are a new parent or about to be one, you may need to be aware of the incidence of birth injuries among newborn infants. Quite a number of infants experience injuries during the birthing process. If you are very close to someone pregnant, you may need to be aware of how the birthing process can happen and threaten the well-being of the mother or the baby. This article summarizes what you need to know and what to do when this happens.

1. How Birthing Injuries Can Happen 

Some unusually large infants experience birth injuries when the mother’s birth canal is too small, or when the head of the fetus is too large to pass through the birth canal. Another scenario is when the fetus’ shoulder is positioned where the head should be. Another is the breech position where the buttocks are positioned over the birth canal. 

In these scenarios, the assisting medical practitioner may feel it necessary to adjust the position of the fetus to allow the birth process to continue. Sometimes, this repositioning can result in physical injuries to the fetus.

Fortunately, diagnostic procedures such as ultrasound can be done during pregnancy to help an obstetrician to anticipate possible birthing difficulties. However, some birthing problems are not anticipated by the doctor. 

For instance, the placenta is entangled around the neck of the fetus and cut off its supply of oxygen. This can cause brain damage to the fetus, causing mental retardation or even death. The most severe brain injury disorder that results from loss of oxygen during birth is cerebral palsy.

In difficult births, the doctor may intervene by either using their hands or birthing tools. Birth injuries may result if too much force and not enough skill is used to bring out the baby. One possible injury is the fracture of the infant’s skull due to the use of tools such as forceps or a vacuum extractor. 

2. How To Care For an Infant With Birth Injuries 

The most common injury suffered by newborns is a head injury that may or may not affect the brain. Sometimes, the injury is very minor such as light cuts on the scalp. Other times, injuries are more severe such as blood vessels bursting within the brain. If this happens, you should observe your child carefully for signs of problems resulting from the injury, such as:

• Excessive or non-stop crying 
• Crying while arching its back
• Lethargy
• Light sensitivity
• Seizures
• Vomiting
• Difficulty in sucking, eating or swallowing 
• Excessive salivation
• Trouble with breathing

If these happen, contact a pediatrician immediately.

If you will be caring for an infant with birth injuries, you consult a birth injury caregiver guide so that you don’t accidentally worsen the child’s condition. You can also consult with a pediatrician regarding the care of a child with birth trauma.

3. Seek Legal Advice 

When a birth injury is obvious or is diagnosed by a licensed physician, be prepared to seek legal advice and the possibility of filing a medical malpractice lawsuit against the doctor who helped in the birth. Although no one wants to go through the stress and expenses of a legal trial, it may be necessary if you are convinced that the attending doctor’s negligence caused the birth injuries. 

You should check if you have sufficient funds to pay for the high costs of filing and pursuing a medical malpractice lawsuit against the attending doctor. Lawsuits are very costly, and you should weigh your options carefully. Remember that you can either win or lose the case. If you lose, you will have spent a lot of money and may worsen your financial situation.

If you win the case, though, you will be able to pay for the high cost of medical treatment for your infant. This does not mean your infant will develop normally – it just means that the money that will penalize the doctor will go towards medical attention for the injured child. 

Note that, sometimes even other doctors are not able to accurately say if the injured child will survive its birth injuries and develop normally. You should be aware of this well before filing any case.

Closing Thoughts

In an ideal world, infants are born in perfect health. However, sometimes tragedies do happen, and babies suffer some injuries during birth. This is a reality that is feared by many parents. 

If this happens to your child, you should immediately ensure medical attention for your child so that you will know how best to move forward in the interests of the child. If necessary, you should pursue legal action against the doctor who caused the birth injuries. That way, you can afford medical treatment for the child’s birth injuries.