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Birth Injury Advocates - Preventing Birth Injuries Together
A non for profit focused on helping families of Babies Injured at Birth.
Why a Baby is Injured at Birth? Important Facts
A non for profit focused on Baby Injuries at Birth.
At Birth Injury Advocates - Baby Injured at Birth, our mission is to prevent birth injuries and provide immediate support for affected families. We are dedicated to creating effective plans uniquely tailored to your baby's needs. We help find out why the injuries happened. How it can be treated. All available help to you and your child. How to prevent this injuries to other children. Plus any grants or funding to assist you in your baby's treatment. Call us today. We can help. Our team is made up of an amazing group of volunteers that have dedicated time away from their busy careers to help families of birth injuries. The team has medical doctors, therapist, insurance adjusters, victim advocates, experts in the field of birth injuries, anesthesiologist, nicu nurses, life care plan specialist to help find out what you will need for your child in the future, pro bono lawyers to answer any questions relating to your rights as a parent as well as many other areas in our national network of birth injury advocates staff. Call today for a free consultation.
Types of Baby Birth Injuries
Oxygen Deprivation at Birth
Oxygen deprivation at birth occurs in 2 to 10 out of every 1,000 full-term births and more frequently in premature births, according to a study published in the American Journal of Neuroradiology. The World Health Organization additionally estimates that 4 million neonatal deaths occur annually because of oxygen deprivation.
Childbirth injuries involve any internal or external trauma that occurs during birth. These injuries can range from small, localized bruising to nerve and brain injuries and even death.
When you or a loved one is expecting a child, you assume the highest medical standards will be met. But serious injuries can result from medical negligence and lead to permanent damage. When this happens, medical professionals can be held responsible, and you have the right to sue for damages.
While every birth injury case is different, it is important to know the leading causes and factors behind them. Knowing this information can help you and your lawyer develop the right course of action when filing a lawsuit.
Key Childbirth Information
The following are some important numbers to consider from the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) 2020 report on child births:
Total number of births: 3,613,647
8.24 percent of births were underweight
10.09 percent of births were preterm
31.8 percent of births were cesarean deliveries
Total infant deaths: 19,582
Top causes of infant mortality:
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
Conditions related to low weight and preterm birth
Congenital malformations and deformities
Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)
Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a type of newborn brain damage caused by limited blood flow and oxygen deprivation. Generally, HIE results from various medical complications around the time of the baby’s birth. In many instances, medical malpractice also plays a role.
Children with HIE often experience the following symptoms:
Feeding difficulties
Missing reflexes
Seizures
Breathing problems
High or low muscle tone
Therefore, to ensure that you take the proper actions after you suspect infant brain damage, it’s important to educate yourself on how infant brain injuries
Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)
Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a type of newborn brain damage caused by limited blood flow and oxygen deprivation. Generally, HIE results from various medical complications around the time of the baby’s birth. In many instances, medical malpractice also plays a role.
Children with HIE often experience the following symptoms:
- Feeding difficulties
- Missing reflexes
- Seizures
- Breathing problems
- High or low muscle tone
Hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus is a build-up of fluid in the brain, causing pressure in the skull that can lead to brain damage. Common signs and symptoms of hydrocephalus in infants include:
- An unusually large head
- A bulging or tense soft spot on the top of the head
- Vomiting
- Sleepiness
- Poor eating
- Irritability
- Seizures
- Problems with muscle tone
Caput succedaneum results when there’s swelling of the scalp in a newborn. It typically occurs due to increased pressure from the vaginal wall, uterus, or birthing canal during a head-first delivery. Caput succedaneum doesn’t always lead to brain injury; mild cases are actually very common, and usually resolve on their own. However, more severe cases increase the risk of kernicterus, which can cause brain damage. Caput succedaneum might also indicate significant head trauma during birth, which can also damage the brain; medical professionals should carefully examine the newborn for signs that this occurred. Symptoms of this condition can include:
- Soft, puffy swelling on the scalp
- Color change or bruising of the scalp
- A bulge that extends to both sides of the scalp
Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) involves damage to a type of brain tissue called white matter, which is located next to the fluid-filled cavities of the brain. It often results because the brain tissue has died or experienced serious injury. For instance, PVL can happen if there’s a lack of blood flow to the brain before, during, or after birth. PVL is an irreversible birth injury to the brain, making it very important for parents to seek the right treatment plan for their child. The life expectancy of the condition depends on the severity of the child’s symptoms, meaning there is no clear answer.
One of the more common symptoms of PVL is spastic diplegia, which is a form of cerebral palsy that leads to tight and contracted muscles, especially in the legs.
Cerebral palsy (CP) refers to a group of disorders that affect an individual’s ability to maintain balance, posture, and movement. CP is the most common motor disability in childhood. Its cause is often the result of abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain that affects an individual’s ability to control their muscles. In some cases, CP is caused by oxygen deprivation during birth.
Those with CP may experience a variety of different symptoms, including:
- Issues with posture and movement
- Seizures
- Hearing, vision, and speech problems
- Changes in the spine
- Joint problems
- Intellectual Disabilities
Causes of Infant Brain Damage
The causes of infant brain damage can be wide-ranging. Still, specific contributing factors often lead to such injuries, sometimes caused by doctor or hospital staff negligence before or during your child’s birth. Common causes of infant brain damage include:
Medical Conditions in the Mother
A mother might suffer several medical conditions or illnesses during pregnancy that can affect her developing child and potentially result in infant brain damage, especially if not treated appropriately.
Preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure. This condition can cause a disturbance in the blood supply to the baby’s brain. If the baby doesn’t get enough oxygen and nutrients, its brain cells will start to die, causing significant brain damage.
Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that isn’t present in the mother until after she becomes pregnant. Gestational diabetes can result in a large baby both in length and birth weight, high blood pressure (preeclampsia), and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) in both the mother and the fetus when treating the illness with insulin. A larger baby can result in difficult labor and delivery or a C-section, increasing the risk of brain and other birth injuries.
Certain preexisting maternal medical conditions can also put the unborn child at greater risk of a brain injury or complicated labor and delivery, leading to birth injuries. The following illnesses can affect your pregnancy and birth when not identified and properly maintained:
- Epilepsy
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Metabolic disorders
- Certain genetic conditions
- Asthma
- Obesity
- Vitamin deficiencies
- Certain hormone problems, including thyroid issues
Asphyxiation
Asphyxiation, or lack of oxygen, can frequently cause infant brain damage, especially when the baby loses oxygen before and during birth. This can occur because of placental separation from the uterine wall (known as abruption), a lengthy birthing process, umbilical cord issues, or meconium aspiration syndrome.”
Infections
Viral or bacterial infections can affect both the mother and her fetus or infect the child during delivery. These illnesses can either impact brain development or cause damaging and life-threatening impacts for newborns whose immune systems have not developed fully. Some dangerous infections during pregnancy and delivery include:
- Zika virus, contracted through bites from infected mosquitoes
- Genital herpes, a sexually transmitted infection (STI)
- Rubella or German measles
- Syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection (STI)
- Cytomegalovirus, a virus from bodily fluids
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- Yeast infections
- Hepatitis, affecting the liver and having various causes, including sexual transmission
- Toxoplasmosis, caused by a parasite if you come into contact with infected cat waste, contaminated raw meat, or infected blood transfusions
- Group B strep (GBS), causing blood infections, pneumonia, and meningitis in newborns
- Bacterial vaginosis (BV)
Jaundice or Kernicterus
Immediately after birth, some babies’ livers have trouble filtering out bilirubin, a yellowish substance produced during the normal breakdown of red blood cells. The rise in bilirubin levels causes jaundice, which is apparent as a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. When it goes untreated, it can cause a condition called kernicterus, which is a type of brain damage resulting from high levels of bilirubin in the baby’s blood. Kernicterus can lead to athetoid cerebral palsy, hearing loss, vision loss, teeth problems, and intellectual disabilities.
Premature babies are at a greater risk for jaundice and accompanying complications, so it’s important that your infant, especially those born early or having other health problems, receive prompt treatment.
Immediate Signs of Brain Damage at Birth
Infant brain damage is not always easily recognized. Sometimes symptoms can be mild or delayed. However, in many cases, there are certain symptoms that you can watch for that might indicate your child suffered a brain injury at birth. These signs can be both physical and cognitive and include:
Physical Signs of Infant Brain Damage
The physical signs of infant brain injury or damage include:
- Head or skull that doesn’t seem to be the right size compared to the rest of the infant’s body (either too large or too small)
- Apparent swelling or bruising around the head
- Abnormal eye movements
- Seizures
- Low muscle tone
- Inability to sleep lying down
- Feeding problems
Cognitive or Developmental Signs of Infant Brain Damage
In some cases, you might not see immediate physical symptoms of infant brain injury or damage. However, as your baby grows, you might begin to notice cognitive or other developmental delays, including:
- Failure to meet milestones, such as rolling over, sitting up, or babbling
- Limp neck or an infant who cannot lift its head by six months
- Involuntary movements
- Difficulty speaking
- Short attention or memory span
- Lack of curiosity or interest in the environment or surroundings
- Trouble understanding social rules or behavioral consequences
- Lack of self-help skills or difficulty adapting to age-appropriate self-awareness
- Infantile behavior that persists despite age
- Lack of problem-solving or reasoning skills or difficulty thinking logically
Treatment Options For Infants With Brain Damage
Infant brain damage is not always easily recognized. Sometimes symptoms can be mild or delayed. However, in many cases, there are certain symptoms that you can watch for that might indicate your child suffered a brain injury at birth. These signs can be both physical and cognitive and include:
Medication designed to help with seizures or specific abnormalities
Physical therapy
Occupational therapy
Behavioral therapy
Cooling therapy
