There’s nothing more exciting than welcoming a new baby into your family.
But, for some families, that happiness is overshadowed by complications during labor and delivery that result in birth injuries.
What makes it even more heartbreaking is that birth injuries are often preventable when proper care is taken during the pregnancy, labor, and delivery process.
And, sometimes, birth injuries may not be immediately apparent.
Come learn more about some of the most common types of birth injuries, what causes them, how to spot the signs that something might be wrong, and what treatments are available.
What Are Birth Injuries?
Birth injuries occur when a baby is harmed during labor or delivery. These injuries can range from minor and temporary issues to severe, life-altering conditions.
While some injuries heal on their own over time, others may require long-term care or therapy.
That’s why recognizing the symptoms early and knowing what steps to take can make a big difference for your baby.
Types of Birth Injuries
Here are some of the most common birth injuries, along with signs to look out for, and how they can be treated:
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is considered a birth injury when it results from trauma, oxygen deprivation, or medical errors during labor or delivery.
Here’s how it can happen:
- Oxygen Deprivation (Hypoxia): If the baby’s brain doesn’t get enough oxygen during birth, it can lead to brain damage, which may result in cerebral palsy. This can happen due to prolonged labor, issues with the umbilical cord, or a delayed C-section.
- Physical Trauma: Difficult deliveries, like those involving the use of forceps or vacuum extractors, can sometimes cause injuries to the baby’s brain.
- Undiagnosed Complications: If a healthcare provider fails to recognize or respond to distress signals during labor, it increases the risk of birth injuries, including cerebral palsy.
In these cases, cerebral palsy is directly tied to what happened during birth, making it a birth injury.
Common Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy
Here are some of the most common symptoms of cerebral palsy:
- Problems With Muscle Tone You might notice that your baby feels either too floppy (low muscle tone) or too stiff (high muscle tone) when you hold them. This can affect how they move, hold their head, or even sit up on their own.
- Delayed Milestones: Babies with cerebral palsy might take longer to roll over, crawl, or walk. If your child isn’t meeting these developmental milestones, it’s worth discussing with their doctor.
- Unusual Reflexes: Some reflexes that are normal in infants, like the startle reflex, should disappear as they grow. If these persist, it could be a sign of CP.
- Difficulty With Movement and Coordination: You might notice that your child struggles to control their movements.
How Is Cerebral Palsy Treated?
While cerebral palsy doesn’t have a cure, there are many treatments and therapies that can improve your child’s quality of life:
- Physical Therapy: Physical therapy is often one of the first treatments your doctor will recommend. It helps strengthen muscles, improve mobility, and prevent stiffness.
- Occupational Therapy: Occupational therapy focuses on developing skills needed for daily life, like dressing, eating, and writing.
- Speech Therapy: If your baby has speech or swallowing difficulties, the doctor might recommend speech therapy to help with communication skills and safe eating.
- Medications: Your baby might be given medication to help manage specific symptoms, like muscle stiffness or seizures.
- Surgery: In severe cases, the doctor might recommend surgery to improve mobility or correct physical deformities.
Brachial Plexus
The brachial plexus is a bundle of nerves that runs from the spinal cord in the neck through the shoulder.
These nerves control the muscles in the shoulder, arm, forearm, and hand, and they’re responsible for feeling in these areas.
When these nerves are compressed, stretched, or torn during birth, it can result in a brachial plexus injury.
The severity depends on the extent of the damage.
Common Symptoms of a Brachial Plexus Injury in Newborns
Here are some of the symptoms you might notice shortly after birth if your baby has a brachial plexus injury:
- They might be weak or lack movement in one arm or shoulder.
- Their arm hangs and doesn’t move naturally.
- They might have reduced grip strength in one hand.
- Their arm might be abnormally positioned. It could be bent at the elbow and held against the body.
How Are Brachial Plexus Injuries Treated?
The treatment for a brachial plexus injury depends on its severity.
In many cases, the injury can heal on its own, but some situations require medical intervention.
- Observation and Physical Therapy: Gentle physical therapy can help maintain range of motion and prevent stiffness in the joints.
- Surgery: Severe cases, like ruptures or avulsions, may require nerve grafts or transfers. The doctor might recommend surgery if there’s no improvement within the first few months of life.
- Long-Term Management: If your child’s nerves are still damaged after surgery, they might need ongoing physical or occupational therapy, to improve function and adapt to any limitations.
Facial Nerve Damage
Facial nerve damage refers to an injury to the seventh cranial nerve, which controls facial movement.
This nerve runs from the brain to the face and helps you blink, smile, frown, and move other facial muscles.
When this nerve gets injured during childbirth, it can cause weakness or paralysis on one side of the baby’s face.
Common Symptoms of Facial Nerve Damage in Newborns
If a baby has facial nerve damage, the symptoms are usually noticeable shortly after birth. Here’s what you might see:
- One side of the baby’s face might droop, especially when they cry.
- You might notice the baby has trouble sucking or feeding.
- The affected side of the face might appear expressionless.
How Is Facial Nerve Damage Treated?
If your baby’s facial nerve damage is mild, they might not need much beyond time and a little extra care. But in other cases, here’s what treatment could look like:
- Observation: The doctor might recommend a “wait and see” approach, keeping a close watch on your baby’s progress.
- Physical Therapy: Yes, even newborns can benefit from gentle exercises. A specialist might show you how to help stimulate their facial muscles at home, for example.
- Surgery (Rarely): In very rare cases, the doctor might recommend surgery, but this is usually a last resort and only for more severe injuries.
Birth injuries can feel like a tough start, but many babies heal and go on to live perfectly healthy, happy lives.
With the right care, plenty of patience, and a little extra love, you’ll help your baby overcome these challenges.
So, don’t give up! Advocate for yourself and your baby, and you will likely be able to find ways to help improve your little one’s quality of life.
Brighter days are ahead for both of you.