Brain Injury During Birth: What Families Need to Know

Birth is a traumatic process for both mother and baby. The baby’s huge head has to squeeze through a relatively narrow passage. Newborns do not have fused skulls which enables them to absorb some of the shock of birth, but not always. Despite all of the advances of modern medicine, injury to the newborn during a vaginal birth is common. Brain injuries during birth occur at a rate of three out of every 1,000 babies born, according to neonatologist Dr. Siva Subramanian. Causes of Brain Injuries Brain injuries to newborns can happen while the baby is still in the womb during the third trimester or during the birth process. The main cause of brain damage is a lack of oxygen to the brain, causing the brain cells to die. There is little oxygen present within the birth canal. If a baby is stuck in the canal for an extended period of time, this can be long enough for brain cells to die or the baby itself. One reason is that the baby is physically too large to pass through the mother’s birth canal, in which case Caesarean sections can be done. This is one reason why it is vitally important for pregnant women to get regular checkups with their gynecologists or obstetricians to determine if the mother may need a Caesarean section to be done at the time of birth. Another reason is that the umbilical cord can get caught around the baby’s neck during delivery. Symptoms of Brain Injury Bruises on a newborn baby’s head look alarming, but often these bruises do not mean that the baby has brain damage. If the birth was difficult and the obstetrician needed to manipulate the baby into a better delivery position or the use of forceps was required, then bruising is expected in these situations, but it should be noted that if the baby has bruises, that the baby should be monitored and checked for any brain damage symptoms, of which can only show up later on in the baby’s life. Often, symptoms of brain damage will not appear for a few days or even weeks after the child is born, but sometimes symptoms appear right away. These include crying far more often than a normal newborn, not being able to sleep lying down; no weight gain, problems suckling and a low body temperature. Treatment Treatments exist for newborns that have just gone through a difficult birth. They are immediately given a cap to help cool the traumatized head and promote blood flow to the brain. This treatment can be given to full term or slightly premature babies. Newborns are also given fluid intravenously and put on a respirator if they have breathing difficulties. The Merck Manual notes that many babies in these circumstances can grow up normally. Goldberg & Osborne, a personal injury law firm, has provided this article for informational purposes only, written by an independent author, and has not reviewed or edited this article and is not responsible for its content or accuracy.