Birth injuries are more common than people realize. This physical trauma or harm can range in severity, from minor bumps and bruises to major nerve and brain damage. Childbirth injuries can impact the baby or mother. Many childbirth complications can be avoided or mitigated when medical providers follow proper medical protocols. 

What are the most common birth injuries that can affect a newborn?

• Brain injuries: A number of childbirth complications can lead to brain damage in a newborn. A twisted umbilical cord, uterine rupture, early detachment of the placenta, or a blocked airway can cut off the baby’s oxygen supply. If not remedied quickly, this can cause major brain damage to an infant and lead to serious disabilities and permanent medical conditions like cerebral palsy. Severe jaundice, physical trauma from forceps or vacuum use, and untreated maternal infections can also cause brain damage at birth.  

• Nerve damage: A difficult passage through the birth canal can cause nerve damage in a newborn, the most common being a brachial plexus injury, or harm to the network of nerves that runs through the shoulders to the spine. A childbirth complication like shoulder dystocia – when a baby’s shoulder or shoulders get stuck during vaginal delivery – and the way a medical provider manages such an impediment can cause varying degrees of injury to the brachial plexus. This can result in Erb’s palsy, a condition that can sometimes lead to partial or complete paralysis of the affected arm.  

• Bone fractures: Shoulder dystocia can also result in fractures to a baby’s bones during a prolonged and difficult passage through the birth canal. A broken clavicle, or collarbone, is the most common type of bone fracture an infant may suffer during childbirth.

Mothers can also experience birth injuries ranging from mild to severe. Maternal childbirth complications typically involve vaginal tears or bleeding after birth. The uterus, vagina and vulva are at risk of trauma during childbirth, which can result in the formation of a postpartum hematoma, which can be a serious complication. Mothers are also at risk for hemorrhage, or severe bleeding, for up to 12 weeks after childbirth. Without proper treatment, postpartum hemorrhage can be fatal.

These common birth injuries can be serious and, tragically, some may lead to the death of the mother or infant if proper medical precautions are not followed. If either you or your child was seriously injured during your child’s birth, and you believe it is because a medical provider did not follow the correct medical standard, you may have a claim. Contact the birth injury attorneys at HHP Law Group today for a free consultation.