Difficulties during labor or birth can put extra pressure on a newborn’s head, neck, shoulders, and nerves. Depending on how medical staff react to the difficulties, unavoidable injuries can be made worse.
While many birth-related injuries heal over time with treatment, others may suffer permanent disability or developmental delays. In the short term, newborns may also experience life-threatening bleeding.
Parents should be on the lookout for signs of injury, such as one arm not moving normally, a weak grip, uneven facial movement, seizures, changes in head shape, swelling, bruising, limpness, scalp swelling, or a dent/indentation in the skull.
Common physical injuries by newborns include:
Brachial Plexus Injury (Erb’s/Klumpke’s Palsy) — Caused by too much traction on the baby’s head, neck, and arm during birth, this injury impacts the nerves that control the shoulder, arm, and hand.
Facial Nerve Palsy — When the baby has too much pressure on the facial nerves before or during delivery, it can cause weakness on one side of the face. This condition is associated with the baby’s position during birth and the staff’s assistance during delivery. The condition usually improves with treatment and time.
Intracranial Hemorrhage — This injury involves bleeding around the brain and may require care in the NICU after birth, along with other ongoing treatments. Cases of intracranial hemorrhage and the injuries caused can range from mild to severe. In newborns carried to term, it’s usually caused by a traumatic delivery or mechanical forces used during the birth.
Shoulder Dystocia — A very serious and potentially deadly injury, this happens when the baby’s shoulder becomes impacted after the head is delivered during birth. Along with the dangers of oxygen deprivation, it can also cause major injuries to the nerves and cause fractures.
Skull Fracture — An uncommon injury during birth, skull fractures in newborns typically heal with time. Depressed fractures are a bit more severe, but with correct care from medical staff, they too heal with time. Skull fractures usually occur during difficult deliveries or instrument-assisted delivery.
Subgaleal Hemorrhage — This happens when blood fills the space between the scalp and skull and is potentially life-threatening. Because of the possibility of rapid blood loss, it’s critical that medical staff notice signs of subgaleal hemorrhage quickly and provide treatment. Typically associated with vacuum extractions, it may also happen during less difficult deliveries.
Injuries happen during birth, and in cases where delivery is difficult, they’re unavoidable. That’s all the more reason why medical staff must be prepared to safely get the mother and child through delivery, without making the injuries worse. Acting fast and following standardized procedures and care plans can stop a mild birth injury from becoming deadly.
If your newborn was injured during birth and the team providing your care was unprepared or overly forceful during the birth, contact the south Florida birth injury lawyers at Weisser Law today. We will review your case to determine where your child was injured and if medical malpractice contributed to the injury.
When your health and future are at risk, experience matters. Weisser Law fights relentlessly to restore our clients’ dignity while securing their future. Contact our expert legal team today so you can focus on recovery, and we’ll focus on accountability.