More About Birth Injuries and Infant Palsy

Cerebral palsy is a condition in which an infant’s brain and central nervous system are damaged. This condition may be caused by pregnancy complications, birth injuries, or post-birth problems such as asphyxia, neonatal stroke, or subconjunctival hemorrhage (bleeding of the eye). Symptoms range from mild to severe.

What kinds of Cerebral Palsy are there?

Brachial Plexus Paralysis is a form of a birth injury that causes loss of movement in the arm. In situations where paralysis is complete (called Complete Plexus Paralysis), the entire arm is paralyzed. Approximately one in 1,000 births results in this kind of injury.

There are two types of Brachial Plexus Paralysis. Klumpke’s Palsy is a condition in which the infant’s fingers or wrists are extremely weak. There is no exact treatment: however, a doctor may prescribe physical therapy or surgery in cases where severe nerve damage occurs.

Erb’s Palsy involves paralysis of the upper arm and shoulder muscles. Normal hand movement, including gripping or lifting hands above the head, becomes difficult or impossible. If the mother has a small pelvis, or if the baby is large at birth, this may increase the baby’s risk of developing Erb’s Palsy. Other factors, including gestational diabetes or excessive maternal weight gain, may also contribute to the risk.

What kinds of birth injuries cause infant palsy?

Many types of birth injuries or birth defects contribute to the development of infant palsy. Brachial palsy is a result of an injury to the brachial plexus, a group of nerves that controls the arm and hands. This injury often occurs when the mother has trouble delivering the baby’s shoulder (a situation called shoulder dystocia). When the nerve is torn, permanent nerve damage may occur, causing the baby to lose the ability to move its arm. Physical therapy is one possible treatment of this condition.

Caput succedaneum occurs when tissues in the baby’s scalp well or bruise while the baby travels through the birth canal. A baby is more likely to experience Caput when it is delivered via vacuum extraction. In normal cases, the swelling or bruising disappears a few days after birth.

Another type of injury involves forceps lacerations or marks. When forceps are used during delivery, they can leave temporary cuts on the baby’s head or face. Babies delivered via vacuum extraction are especially prone to these injuries.

Cephalohematoma involves bleeding under the baby’s skull. A bump usually appears on the baby’s head hours after birth and will disappear anywhere from two weeks to three months after birth. In normal cases, the baby’s body will reabsorb the blood.

Who is responsible for birth injuries?

Infant birth injury is an occasional outcome of the birth process. There is no easy way to avoid accidental injury during delivery; however, parents should seek to distinguish unavoidable birth injuries from medical malpractice. Malpractice attorney can help concerned parents determine whether or not an injury lawyer should be filed in certain cases of infant birth injuries. Parents should familiarize themselves with basic birth injury information and be aware of the possible complications of giving birth.

Because so many factors can cause ill health or injury to a newborn baby, mothers should take all possible precautions during and after the pregnancy. Although birth defects, injuries, or miscarriage can occur even when the mother follows her doctor’s instructions, the mother should still make every effort to protect her pregnancy from harmful substances (such as drugs or alcohol). If a mother experiences severe illness during her pregnancy, she should stay on bed rest until the illness passes.

(Article from Birth Injury and Medical Malpractice Legal View)