Six main causes for birth injury

by lmallernee | September 24th, 2012

September 24, 2012

According to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford, babies often suffer serious injuries during the birthing process.

The size or position of the baby during labor and delivery can sometimes cause an injury to the baby or mother. The most common conditions that may cause a difficult birth include the following:

(1) If the birth weight is over eight pounds and 13 ounces, then there could be trauma or birth injury.

(2) Babies born before 37 weeks are considered premature, and they have more fragile bodies that may be more easily injured during labor and birth.

(3) If the size and shape of the mother’s pelvis is not adequate for the baby to be born vaginally, this could cause a problem.

(4) A particularly difficult labor or childbirth could cause birth trauma or injury.

(5) Prolonged labor can cause trauma or injury.

(6) An abnormal birthing presentation–such as breech delivery–could create birth trauma or injury.

The most common birth injury during labor and delivery is a fracture of the clavicle or collarbone.  The clavicle may break when there is difficulty delivering the baby’s shoulder or during a breech delivery. But healing occurs quickly as new bone forms and develops in the first 10 days of a baby’s life.

If anyone you know has experienced a severe birth injury, the Ohio personal injury lawyers at Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy may be able to help.