Every parent is worried about the potential for a birth injury. While these are not common, there are times when an infant is injured during childbirth or shortly thereafter.
Some of the most common causes of birth injury include:
— Premature birth.
— Baby is large.
— Overweight mother.
— Cesarean delivery.
— Misuse of delivery tools, such as forceps.
— Baby does not come down the birth canal headfirst.
— Mistake by a medical professional.
Along with the common causes of birth injury, you should become familiar with some of the most common types. These include:
— Bruising of the head.
— Swelling of the head.
— Bleeding underneath the cranial bones.
— Collarbone fracture.
— Nerve damage.
There are times when the medical team is unable to do anything to avoid injury. For example, there is only so much they can do to assist with the delivery of a large baby.
Conversely, there are times when the medical team is directly responsible for the injury, such as when the delivery doctor makes a mistake. This could be anything from the misuse of a delivery device to failing to order a C-section at the appropriate time.
As an expecting parent, you want to go into the delivery process with as much knowledge as possible. Even though you don’t expect anything to go wrong, it is good to understand every possibility.
If a baby is injured due to the negligence of a medical professional, the child must receive immediate treatment. From there, the parents can then decide what to do next.
Source: University of Rochester Medical Center, “Birth Injury,” accessed July 09, 2015
