Birth Injury

Birth Injury

(February 01, 2011) Birth injury is any damage to an infant’s body structure or function due to events during labor and delivery.

Often called birth trauma, injuries to infants are normally caused by mechanical forces such as compression and traction during the birth process. These mechanical injuries range from mild to severe, which can be described from minor bruising to nerve or brain damage.

Researchers claimed the most common factor responsible for mechanical injury may coexist with hypoxic-ischemic insult, a partial lack of oxygen to the brain which results in brain damage. This may lead to conditions such as cerebral palsy, physical disability and cognitive disabilities. Statistics show that the mortality rate for these cases ranges from 25 to 50 percent.

In general, birth injury accounts for fewer than two percent of neonatal deaths and stillbirths in the United States. Latest update shows an average of six to eight injuries out of one thousand live births. However, researchers explained larger infants, weighing more than 4,500 grams, are more susceptible to birth trauma.

Meanwhile, the most common causes that result in birth injuries include a combination of compression, contractions, torques and traction. The use of obstetric instrumentation was believed to further amplify the effects of such forces or may induce injury alone. With these underlying conditions, a cesarean delivery is considered to be an acceptable alternative.

On the contrary, this surgical procedure does not guarantee an injury-free birth. Like any other abdominal surgery, C-section was also linked with risks of post-operative adhesions, incisional hernias and wound infections. Worst cases include severe blood loss and post spinal headaches.

In some other cases, birth injuries to infants were also resulting from poor care after delivery, including mistakes made during a circumcision or failure to properly attend to an infection. In evaluating a possible malpractice claim, a personal birth injury lawyer will ordinarily review all of the baby’s medical records, including those associated with the delivery and neonatal care. Anyone who has experienced medical negligence must call a personal birth injury lawyer to pursue a claim to secure financial stability for the future.

About the Author

Jerry Erger was born in Shi Un To, Tokyo. Worked in a Twu Zhan province in a Prosystems Factory.

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