5 Birth Injuries New Parents Should Know About

When you’re about to be a brand new parent, you need to know everything about potential birth complications. While this may sound scary, it will help you be more prepared to give a healthy, easy birth. Your doctor and delivery team should prepare you for the delivery process before your big day. However, accidents can still occur, even if every medical professional is at the top of their game. There are five birth injuries that new parents should know about (and which can lead to birth injury lawsuits in some cases):

1. Erb’s Palsy

Also known as brachial palsy, Erb’s palsy is one of the most infamous types of birth injuries that can afflict newborn infants. When an infant has extreme pressure or clotting in the nerves connected to its arms and hands, the brain’s connection to them can be permanently damaged, leading to a case of Erb’s palsy. When Erb’s palsy advances, as the child ages, they will need to receive physical therapy and guidance to function normally. In some cases, Erb’s palsy can even lead to severe neurological issues. Due to how severely Erb’s palsy can impact an affected infant’s life, an Erb’s palsy lawyer will be needed to file a birth injury lawsuit against the doctors or hospital whose negligence caused your infant’s injury.

2. Oxygen Deprivation

Few birth injuries are as serious and immediately pressing as oxygen deprivation-related issues. If you want to ensure your child is going to be healthy, and that they’ll grow normally during the first year of their life, your doctors need to take the oxygen levels your baby is experiencing during and after the delivery process are normal. Even short bouts of oxygen deprivation can have a devastating impact on infants’ health, after all.

There are many tools and safety precautions used to help monitor an infant’s oxygen levels throughout the delivery, however, so these injuries are thankfully rare. When they do occur, however, they can lead to serious and even life-treating issues that will need to be addressed pronto. The more on top of the process, the delivery team is, the safer the infant and the delivering parent will be during the delivery. To keep the infant and delivering parent safe and secure, every member of the delivery team will need to be on top of their game.

3. Cephalohematoma

Few birth injuries are as common as cephalohematoma. Defined as birth injuries that are caused by bleeding under the infant’s cranial bone, cephalohematoma can cause swelling and visible bumps on the infant’s head. Thankfully, cephalohematoma is one of the less serious injuries that can happen during birth, and it only leads to serious health complications in rare cases. Typically, cephalohematoma will work itself out with little medical intervention. It can be shocking to see your infant’s head swelling because of cephalohematoma, but your medical team should help you stay calm, and assure you that the injury will heal quickly. In rare cases, cephalohematoma can lead to more long-lasting conditions such as jaundice and meningitis.

4. Spinal Cord Injuries

Some of the more serious injuries that can happen during delivery are related to the spine (both the infant’s spine and the delivering parent’s spine). Many precautions are put in place to ensure there is a very minimal chance of any spinal cord injuries. After all, even minor spinal cord injuries can cause an infant or delivering parent to sustain major, and even life-long conditions. In the rarest cases, spinal cord injuries can even lead to death. For this reason, any spinal cord injury that occurs during delivery is cause for an immediate emergency response. Paralysis, neurological issues, forms of palsy, and other massive afflictions can happen due to complications from severe, and even minor spinal cord injuries.

5. Facial Paralysis

When an infant has too much pressure placed onto its face and skull during the delivery process, the nerves in the face can be harshly damaged, and lead to facial paralysis. To ensure your infant’s protection during the delivery process, doctors must take their time during every step of the delivery. Rushed deliveries are commonly associated with preventable birth injuries, after all.

When a medical team overseeing a delivery causes injuries due to negligent or illegal behavior, it may be necessary to file a lawsuit against the negligent parties that harmed your newborn infant. Doing so can help you ensure you have the money needed to treat your infant’s injuries. Additionally, you’ll be doing your part to hold irresponsible and negligent medical professionals accountable for the damages they’re causing.