Bringing a new baby into the world is one of the most exciting events in life. However, childbirth is a difficult and complex process that can be notoriously unpredictable. Today we expect doctors and medical professionals to provide a high level of medical care and we hope for a normal, healthy baby.
Unfortunately, things don’t always work out this way. Complications frequently arise and present real dangers to both mother and baby. The reality is that birth injuries can and do happen during pregnancy, labor and delivery on a regular basis.
There are numerous types of potential birth injuries with a diverse range of causes and severity. Most birth injuries fall into 1 of 3 main categories: orthopedic injuries; nerve injuries, and brain damage. Understanding the various types, causes and significance of birth injuries can be difficult. Finding reliable sources of information about birth injuries on the web can be particularly challenging.
The Birth Injury Help Center provides a comprehensive, reliable reference site for information about birth injuries. Visitors to this site will find information and resources about the different types birth injuries and their potential causes, as well current information on treatment, prognosis and financial assistance. Visitors to the Birth Injury Help Center website will find accurate informational summary pages on primary birth injury topics, along with more focused pages offering in-depth information about various subtopics. External links to medical journals, recent scientific studies, and other reliable sources are also provided on each page.
Cerebral palsy is a permanent disability in which the brain is damaged unable to send signals to normally control body and muscle movement. The particular type of brain damage that causes cerebral palsy typically occurs during childbirth when oxygen to the baby’s brain is temporarily disrupted. Children with cerebral palsy are often unable to control their legs, arms or other parts of their body and may require mobility aids to walk. Cerebral palsy is the most common type of serious birth injury and is the subject of many malpractice lawsuits.
The brachial plexus is a key network of nerves running from the spine through the shoulders and down into the arms. This nerve channel serves to transmit brain signals to the arms and hands. Damage to the brachial plexus nerve channel is one of the most common types of birth injuries, occurring in thousands of births every year. This type of nerve damage during birth results in conditions such as Erb’s Palsy and Kulmpke’s Palsy (involving paralysis of the arm and/or hand). Damage to the brachial plexus nerves are often caused by excessive force in response to difficult vaginal deliveries.
The most serious of type of birth injuries are those involving the brain. The brain is a complex and delicate organ that requires a constant supply blood and oxygen during childbirth. When blood and oxygen flow to the brain are interrupted, permanent damage can occur in a very short time period. During childbirth, the delivery of blood and oxygen to the baby’s brain can be particularly vulnerable to disruption. Various obstetrical complications can interfere with the circulation of blood and oxygen to the brain. When these complications arise doctors have an extremely short window of time to respond in order to avoid injury to the baby.
Not all birth injuries are the result of trauma or difficulties in the labor and delivery room. Many birth injuries and resulting disabilities actually originate from abnormalities or conditions that arising during pregnancy and fetal gestation. Problems with the placenta, maternal infections, excess amniotic fluid and prematurity are just a few of the things that can go wrong during pregnancy and potentially damage cells in the baby’s developing brain. Early diagnosis and treatment of prenatal complications is critical to the health of the baby.
Most major birth injuries occur when something goes wrong during the labor and delivery process. There are a number of potentially dangerous complications that can and regularly do arise during childbirth. Even when a mother is perfectly healthy and her pregnancy has been entirely normal, obstetric difficulties can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. If not timely identified and properly handled these complications can lead to infant brain damage or other serious birth injuries.
Our help reference page providing information guidance, support and resources for parents of children with birth injury disabilities. Resources include information on financial assistance and public benefit programs as well as treatment options and educational programs.