Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms, Week by Week Pregnancy Guide

Birth injuries have unfortunately become a common issue during child delivery. Some of them may cause long term effects on a child. Every mother wishes to have a safe delivery that ensures good health and safety for their new born babies.

However, it is unfortunate that injuries during birth still happen. Some of this may be inevitable especially if dealing with pregnancy or delivery complications.

Causes of birth injuries

• The most common cause of injuries during birth is mainly due to the tremendous pressure that the baby goes through during delivery. An unusually large infant may also increase the pressure that comes with labor causing damage.
• Premature births are also causes of injuries during birth as the baby is not yet fully developed.
• Breech delivery is one of the common birth injury causes that have long lasting effects if not handled professionally.
• Prolonged labor is known to build up a lot of pressure on the baby as it passes through the birth canal.
• Medical malpractices have become a rising concern due to negligence in proper diagnosis. It is important for medical professionals to always take precautionary measures than greatly reduce the risk of injuries during birth.

Common types of injuries during birth

Many of the common birth injuries such as swelling, bruising, rare fractures during breech delivery and forceps scars often heal within a few weeks. Temporary loss of nerve or muscular function is common mainly due to the pressure during delivery and resolves itself within weeks also. However if nerves are torn, the resulting damage may be unfortunately permanent.

Facial paralysis is one of the most common injuries mainly due to pressure on the facial nerves or the use of forceps during birth. Torn facial nerves may require surgery if extensive but most of them heal within weeks. Brachial plexus injury may also happen during delivery.

This is normally a weakness of the arm or paralysis that is caused the excessive stretching of the shoulder nerves during birth. Excessive pulling on the arm during birth or pressure on one of the raised shoulders during a breech delivery can also cause the injury.

Skull birth injuries can be caused by abrasions or cuts and bleeding between the scalp and skull. Cerebral palsy may also be caused during or near the time of delivery. This is a chronic disorder mainly caused by trauma to the brain. Its effects are the loss of movement or some vital nerve functions. The severity of this condition depends on the extent of damage done to the brain.

Many of the common injuries during birth can be avoided if the pregnant mother and baby are provided with good maternity and medical care. However, in cases where the medical delivery team fails to prevent avoidable injuries from occurring by the use of improper techniques or procedures, it is your responsibility to seek legal assistance especially if the damage done is permanent. Many parents who have undergone theses unfortunate events have hired qualified attorneys to help them get compensation for preventable birth injuries.