Birth Injuries – FAQs

Q. What is a birth injury?

Birth injuries, in general terms, are defined as any type of injury sustained by the baby or mother before, during or after the birth. Many birth injuries are minor and can occur during the natural process of giving birth. It is estimated that between two and seven babies out of 1,000 will become injured during the birthing process. However, some birth injuries can be severe and may be the result of medical malpractice, and legal action can be taken against the healthcare professionals, technicians and even the hospital.

Q. What are some of the common birth injuries?

Childbirth can be a very complicated process, exposing both mother and baby to physical harm. Medical malpractice in childbirth can happen any time during the pregnancy, birth, labor and post-birth. It is impossible to list all possible birth injuries here, but some of the more common injuries are: caput sucdedaneum (severe swelling of the baby’s scalp); bruising and/or forcep marks (trauma during the use of forceps); misuse of vacuum extraction apparatus (leading to scalp bruising, lacerations or even brain damage); cephalohematoma (bleeding under the scalp of the baby); facial paralysis (due to bruised or torn nerves); subconjunctival hemorrhage (rupture of small blood vessels in the eyes); brachial palsy (injury to the nerves around the arms and hands); shoulder dystocia (difficulty delivering the baby’s shoulder through the vaginal tract) and/or fracture (most common is the facture of the collarbone or clavicle).

Q. What are the causes of birth injuries?

Some birth injuries are sustained during the natural childbirth, but others may be due to medical malpractice. Some of the more common complications arising include; delivery of babies that are over nine pounds in weight; babies that are premature (born before term or 37 weeks); misdiagnosing a medical condition called cephalopelvic disproportion, where the mother’s pelvis is too small to deliver the baby naturally; baby’s distress due to prolonged labor or delay in performing a caesarian section). In severe cases, these complications can lead to brain damage to the baby and compromise the health of the mother.