Understanding Birth Injury: Causes and Symptoms

A birth injury is any injury sustained by a newborn during the birthing process. Birth injuries can be caused by medical malpractice, difficult labor, or illness. Some of these injuries are, fortunately, temporary and can be resolved fairly quickly, while others can result in permanent neurological and physical debilitations. Birth injuries that impact the brain and neck are especially dangerous and could lead to severe conditions such as brain damage or cerebral palsy. 

How Do Birth Injuries Happen?

Birth injuries are categorized as any injury to an infant during, prior to, or directly after labor and delivery. Birth injuries can be short-term, with symptoms that subside entirely in a few days or weeks. However, birth injuries can also be permanent, with serious symptoms that the child will have to cope with for the rest of their life. 

The factors and conditions that cause a newborn’s birth injury will determine the nature and scope of the issue. There are infant conditions, maternal conditions, as well as external factors that are capable of leading to birth injuries of varying severity.

For example, if the infant is deprived of oxygen just before birth, they can experience brain damage. Babies who sustain brain damage during birth are extremely prone to lifelong neurological issues.

Conversely, a doctor yanking on a newborn’s neck in an attempt to speed up the delivery can injure the nerves connected to the arm and shoulder. The pressure caused by this excessive pulling can lead to a form of nerve damage that causes (arm paralysis known as Erb’s palsy. 

Most babies who are diagnosed with Erb’s palsy have a favorable prognosis. Unfortunately, about 20% will be unable to make a complete recovery and experience lifelong challenges.

What Conditions Can Cause Birth Injuries?

There are numerous conditions that could cause a birth injury. Babies or mothers who experience these conditions during any part of labor and delivery are at an elevated risk.  

It is crucial to be familiar with the infant, maternal, and external conditions that are associated with a greater risk of birth injuries. This allows them to be recognized and prevented. 

The most common maternal conditions leading to birth injuries are:

• Pelvis shape: The mother’s pelvis could be the wrong size or shape for a safe delivery. If the shape of the mother’s pelvis is not conducive to a manageable birth, the baby could potentially twist or struggle in a way that restricts the flow of oxygen.
• Dystocia: Dystocia is the name given to difficult labor or delivery. A difficult labor can be caused by a cervix not dilating as it should or an awkwardly positioned fetus. Either one of these conditions could make the process of labor and delivery difficult and cause a birth injury to the baby. 
• Prolonged labor: Labor that takes much longer than average is widely associated with a greater risk of birth injuries.

The most common infant conditions leading to birth injuries are:

• High birth weight: Infants who weigh more than 8 pounds and 13 ounces have a considerably more difficult birthing process to endure and are more vulnerable to birth injuries.   
• Prematurity: Infants who are born before their 37th week of gestation are considered premature. Premature babies have higher birth injury rates because their nervous system and muscles are not yet fully formed.
• Abnormal positioning of the fetus: Babies who are born in abnormal positions, including butt-first, head-up, or breech birth positions, are more prone to birth injuries. 

External conditions include:

• Injury during the delivery: Any physical injury sustained during labor and delivery can result in severe birth injuries. Birth injuries can occur when a physician uses a vacuum extractor or forceps during delivery.

Categories of Birth Injury Causes

There are multiple types of birth injury causes. They are divided into four distinct categories: oxygen deprivation, delayed birth, medical malpractice, and “other”. Every birth injury case is unique and can result in injuries with varying symptoms.

Oxygen Deprivation

Oxygen deprivation is serious and can cause newborns to experience a range of serious injuries. Oxygen deprivation can be the result of a prolapsed umbilical cord. If a healthcare professional breaks an expectant mother’s water too soon in the labor process and her infant is too high up in the birth canal, it increases the chances of a prolapsed umbilical cord. If a physician or nurse does this in an effort to hurry the labor process along, it poses a serious risk to both the baby and the mother. 

Oxygen deprivation can also take place if the baby’s lungs are not fully formed, such as in a premature birth. Oxygen deprivation during the birthing process is the leading cause of brain-related birth injuries, the most serious of which can last a lifetime.

Delayed Birth

Delayed birth is another common cause of birth injuries. A delayed birth occurs when the mother’s labor lasts for more than 18 hours. A delayed birth puts increased pressure on the baby’s head which can lead to issues with their still-developing brain.

A delayed birth can also cause elevated blood pressure and fetal distress. High blood pressure during labor and delivery could result in cardiovascular issues, such as a stroke. 

Medical Malpractice

If a doctor uses excessive force or is otherwise medically negligent during delivery, it could cause a birth injury.  Healthcare professionals are highly trained in the birthing process and taught which challenges they need to be mindful of. Unfortunately, impatient or inexperienced doctors and staff cause blunt-force trauma or misinterpret vital data. 

For example, methods that require the use of forceps or vacuum extraction can injure a baby’s brain during delivery. Negligent medical staff members might not monitor the mother properly, and overlook problems such as decreased oxygen flow to the baby’s brain.

If your child sustained a birth injury, you should consult a medical professional right away. They can diagnose your baby’s injury and determine the cause. If medical malpractice occurred, you and a Dallas birth injury attorney from Rasansky Law Firm can seek financial compensation through a medical malpractice lawsuit.  We offer a free initial consultation and can advise you on how to best proceed with your birth injury case. Call us at (214) 617- 1886 to schedule your free consultation.