Common Birth Injuries
We may not like to think about the possibility of our children being born with defects, but it can be a harsh truth. What is worse, sometimes these defects are the direct result of medical negligence. Below we discuss some common birth injuries and whether medical negligence is likely to play a role.
- Birth Asphyxia
Perinatal asphyxia (also known as neonatal asphyxia or birth asphyxia) is the medical condition resulting from deprivation of oxygen to a newborn infant that lasts long enough during the birth process to cause physical or permanent harm, usually to the brain. Delayed delivery or failure to perform an emergency cesarean section can result in permanent disability.
- Bruising, forceps marks, and ventouse delivery
Some babies may show signs of bruising on the head or face simply as a result of the trauma of passing through the birth canal during assisted delivery. When forceps are used to assist with delivery, it can leave temporary bruising on the baby’s head and face. Vacuum extraction (VE), also known as a ventouse, is a method to assist the delivery of a baby using a vacuum or suction device as ventouse. Vacuum extraction can cause complications in the baby. It can be used safely, but if used inappropriately or with too much force, vacuum extraction can cause: Bleeding and wounds on the scalp leading to brain damage (such as Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy). It can also cause stretching of the nerves along the neck, which can cause Erb’s palsy or a brachial plexus injury.
- Erb’s palsy (Brachial Plexus Injury)
Erb’s Palsy is a type of palsy or weakness or paralysis of muscles. This occurs sometimes in infants due to injuries to nerves during childbirth. It is also sometimes called brachial plexus injury, after the name of the bundle of nerves damaged. Often the injury is not preventable due to the size of the baby or the way the baby lays in the uterus during pregnancy. It is however important that the injury be treated and operated within the correct time to limit and avoid permanent damage.
- Subconjunctival Haemorrhage
This is the breakage of small blood vessels in the eyes of a baby. The eye/s may have a bright red circle in the white of the eye. Subconjunctival hemorrhages are relatively common, and they do not cause damage to the eyes. The redness is typically absorbed in seven to ten days.
- Fractures
Fracture of the collarbone or clavicle is a common fracture that is sustained during labour and delivery. The collarbone has the chance of breaking when there are issues delivering the baby’s shoulder, or through a breech delivery. A baby that fractures its collarbone in this way seldom moves the arm on the side of the break. Even so, healing can occur quickly. As new bone forms, a bump on the collarbone often develops within a few days. If the fracture is painful, restrictive measures such as applying a bandage or soft splint may be necessary.
- Cephalohematoma (cranial bleeding)
Cephalohematoma is an area of bleeding underneath one of the cranial bones. It can often appear a few hours after birth as a lump on the baby’s head. In most cases over time, however, the baby’s body resorbs the blood. Dependant on size, most cephalohematomas take roughly two to twelve weeks to vanish completely. It can in some instances indicate if an injury occurred during delivery.
Paul du Plessis Attorneys
Paul du Plessis Attorneys provide specialized medico-legal services to clients who have suffered an injury at the hands of another. Contact us through our website, email, or office for all medical negligence enquiries.