Birth injuries occur when physical trauma during delivery causes damage to a newborn’s body, often affecting the nerves, bones, or soft tissues. While most babies recover fully, difficult deliveries increase the risk of serious birth injuries, such as brachial plexus injury and skull fractures.
📌 Fact: Birth injuries occur in about 2-3 per 1,000 live births, with difficult or prolonged labor being a major risk factor.
🩺 What Causes Birth Injuries?
Birth injuries are more likely to occur in cases of complicated or high-risk deliveries, including:
🔹 Prolonged or Difficult Labor – Increased pressure on the baby’s body during a long delivery.
🔹 Shoulder Dystocia – When the baby’s shoulder gets stuck behind the mother’s pelvic bone.
🔹 Use of Forceps or Vacuum Extraction – Instruments used to assist delivery can increase the risk of head and nerve injuries.
🔹 Large Birth Weight (Macrosomia) – Babies over 4,000g (8.8 lbs) are at higher risk of trauma.
🔹 Breech Birth (Feet or Buttocks First) – Puts stress on the baby’s head, neck, and shoulders.
📌 Fact: Babies born via assisted delivery (forceps or vacuum) have a higher risk of head and nerve injuries.
🚨 Common Birth Injuries Caused by Difficult Deliveries
1️⃣ Brachial Plexus Injury (Erb’s Palsy or Klumpke’s Palsy)
❌ Cause: Damage to the network of nerves that control the arm and hand due to excessive stretching during delivery.
❌ Symptoms: Weakness or paralysis of the arm, reduced reflexes, or limpness.
✔ Treatment: Physical therapy is often needed, and severe cases may require surgery.
2️⃣ Skull Fractures & Head Trauma
❌ Cause: Pressure on the baby’s skull during difficult deliveries, especially with forceps or vacuum extraction.
❌ Symptoms: Swelling, bruising, or in severe cases, brain injury.
✔ Treatment: Most minor fractures heal on their own, but close monitoring is essential.
3️⃣ Facial Nerve Injury (Facial Palsy)
❌ Cause: Pressure on the facial nerve, often from forceps use.
❌ Symptoms: Weakness or lack of movement on one side of the baby’s face.
✔ Treatment: Usually improves in weeks to months, but severe cases may need surgery.
📌 Fact: Most mild birth injuries heal with time, but early intervention is crucial for more severe cases.
🛑 How Can Birth Injuries Be Prevented?
Doctors take several precautions to reduce the risk of birth trauma, including:
✔ Careful monitoring of fetal size and position before delivery.
✔ Using a C-section if the baby is too large or in a risky position.
✔ Minimizing the use of forceps or vacuum extraction whenever possible.
✔ Proper handling of shoulder dystocia to avoid excessive pulling.
📌 Fact: Advancements in obstetric care have significantly reduced severe birth injuries over the past decades.
📌 Final Thoughts
Difficult deliveries increase the risk of birth injuries, including brachial plexus injury and skull fractures. Most birth injuries heal naturally, but early diagnosis and treatment are essential to prevent long-term complications. Doctors carefully assess delivery risks to minimize birth trauma whenever possible.
