Emotional and Psychological Support for Parents in Birth Injury Cases

While the phrase “birth trauma” usually refers to a physical injury sustained by an infant at birth, it can also allude to the emotional trauma experienced by a parent after an emergency C-section or other complicated delivery. Sadly, trauma at birth is extremely prevalent and often has lasting consequences for families, as well as the child’s development. Families of lower socioeconomic status are much more likely to endure traumatic births. Unfortunately, most parents do not realize the impacts birth trauma can have on the parents’ physical and mental health and the physical and mental health of their child.

Birth Trauma Statistics

Birth injuries happen more frequently than most people realize. To wit: a study published in The Journal of Perinatal Education in 2018 showed that almost 50% of mothers reported experiencing a traumatic birth. 

Another study determined that 4% of postpartum mothers develop posttraumatic stress disorder after childbirth. That percentage increases to 20% in mothers who endure premature births, emergency C-sections, or otherwise traumatic births. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 1 out of every eight women experiences serious postpartum depression. Many healthcare professionals believe that this condition is widely underreported because of the stigma attached to mental health issues.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of childbirth protocols changed dramatically with the goal of keeping medical staff, families, and parents safe from potential infection. Unfortunately, these changes had the unintended side effects of higher rates of depression, stress, and premature births, during, before, and shortly after delivery.

Birth trauma can happen organically, like when an infant is born breech or when their head is too big to pass through the mother’s birth canal. In many cases, however, birth traumas are preventable and occur due to medical malpractice and because concerns voiced by the parents are ignored or disregarded by their birthing team. 

How Does Birth Trauma Affect a Parent-Child Relationship?

Birth trauma often has a wide range of physical and psychological ramifications for both the child and the parent. Many children develop lifelong complications, such as cerebral palsy, caused by brain damage during childbirth. Other impacts of birth trauma often go unrecognized. Following a traumatic delivery, many mothers disregard their mental health despite showing clear signs of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Symptoms of severe postpartum depression and PTSD vary from person to person but often include: 

• Panic or anxiety attacks
• Avoiding people or places that remind them of the traumatic birth 
• Showing disinterest in activities they used to enjoy  
• Absent-mindedness
• Recurring memories or flashbacks of the event
• Isolating from friends and family
• Difficulty sleeping and/or nightmares

These symptoms often make completing basic daily chores challenging, difficult, or even impossible, especially while taking care of the child. If a parent cannot take care of themselves, it can strain their bond with their child. Additionally, many children develop depression and anxiety when their parents are irritable, forgetful, or avoidant.

Is it Possible to Heal From Birth Injury Trauma?

Birth trauma, particularly when it causes PTSD, anxiety, and depression, can be extremely isolating. Many mothers who develop postpartum depression neglect to address or share their feelings due to social stigmas and shame surrounding depression and motherhood. Also, since birth trauma can be caused by medical negligence, many parents do not feel that they can trust their birthing team and have nowhere to turn for help. The best thing parents can do to safeguard their mental health in this situation is to talk to mental health professionals, friends, and family. 

Many parents who endure birth traumas can improve their mental health with the aid of support groups, therapy, and other resources. As they begin to heal, they can also begin strengthening their bond with their children. In serious birth injury cases, parents can also consider seeking legal representation to pursue financial compensation for any medical care, including therapy. 

Are There Birth Injury Support Groups?

For a lot of parents, simply being able to talk to another person who has experienced something similar can help mitigate the psychological trauma brought on by a birth injury as well as the resulting medical needs and daily care. Support groups can help parents voice their anxieties about the birth and their child’s diagnosis. It is not uncommon for mothers of babies with birth injuries to experience feelings of guilt and shame. These support groups can help them overcome these feelings, which, in turn, can help prevent anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. Families can also work with other families or professional counselors to help them work through their feelings and take action if their child’s birth injury is the result of medical negligence. 

Birth injury support groups can be quite useful for families trying to cope with the impacts of a severe birth injury. These groups can help families learn to voice the trauma caused by the incident, along with the struggles they face daily. There are also support groups specifically for children who have birth injuries.  

What Are the Benefits of Birth Injury Support Groups?

Birth injury support groups are designed to help children with birth injuries as well as their families with multiple forms of support, such as:

• Connecting with other families in a similar situation for emotional support 
• Receiving professional counseling 
• Help with financial aid 
• Suggestions on how to handle daily struggles and recommended lifestyle changes
• Exercise suggestions or physical therapy  
• Child development assistance and occupational therapies 

Did Medical Negligence Cause Your Child’s Birth Injury?

To find out if you have a legitimate birth trauma case, speak with a skilled attorney who has years of experience handling complex birth injury cases. At Rasansky Law Firm, our Dallas birth injury lawyers can study your medical records, determine if medical negligence occurred, and pursue a lawsuit for maximum financial compensation. Call us at (214) 651-6100 or fill out the contact form on our website to schedule a free consultation.