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Causes of Birth Injuries
Covington & Cincinnati Birth Injury Lawyers Helping Clients Understand Complex Birth Injury Causes
The birth process is a delicate and critical time, and while many deliveries proceed without complications, medical malpractice and negligence can tragically result in severe birth injuries to both mother and child. Some types of birth injuries and their causes stem from unavoidable medical circumstances, but others are entirely preventable and occur due to errors by obstetricians, nurses, or other medical professionals. When healthcare providers fail to meet the standard of care, the consequences can lead to a mother and/or child’s birth injury with lifelong physical, emotional, and financial impacts.
At TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm, we are dedicated advocates for birth injury victims and their families. Serving clients throughout Northern Kentucky and Southwest Ohio from our offices in Covington and Cincinnati, we are committed to seeking justice for those affected by medical negligence. With in-depth knowledge of the types of birth injuries and their causes, we are skilled in identifying negligence and holding responsible parties accountable in birth injury lawsuits.
Let us help you secure the compensation and support you deserve. For a free consultation with an experienced Ohio or Kentucky birth injury lawyer on our team, call us toll-free at (800) 698-4054 or complete our online intake form today.
Common Types of Birth Injuries
According to the National Vital Statistics Report (via the National Library of Medicine), a birth injury is described as “an impairment of the neonate’s body function or structure due to an adverse event that occurred at birth.” This encompasses a broad spectrum of injuries, ranging from minor injuries that may disappear completely after a few weeks to severe injuries that last a lifetime.
Some of the more common birth injuries we see at TLF include:
- Cerebral Palsy – Caused by damage to brain tissue due to oxygen deprivation during labor, often linked to prolonged delivery or complications with the umbilical cord.
- Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) – Results from reduced oxygen and blood flow to the fetal brain, leading to potential long-term cognitive and physical impairments.
- Brachial Plexus Injuries (e.g., Erb’s Palsy) – Nerve damage involving the cervical nerve roots caused by excessive pulling on the baby’s shoulders, often during cases of shoulder dystocia.
- Fractures – Commonly skull fractures or upper arm bone (humerus) fractures caused by difficult deliveries or improper use of delivery tools.
- Cephalohematoma – A condition where blood accumulation occurs between the baby’s scalp and the skull bone, often caused by vacuum extractors or prolonged pressure during delivery.
- Caput Succedaneum – Swelling of the soft tissues on the baby’s scalp due to prolonged pressure in the birth canal, especially during difficult labor.
- Facial Nerve Injuries – Damage to cranial nerve roots, particularly the facial nerve, caused by improper use of forceps or excessive pressure during delivery, resulting in weakness or paralysis on one side of the baby’s face.
- Intracranial Hemorrhage – Bleeding within the skull, often due to trauma from prolonged labor, use of delivery tools, or fragile small blood vessels in premature infants.
- Shoulder Dystocia Injuries – Occur when the baby’s shoulder becomes stuck against the mother’s pelvis shape, leading to physical injury, such as brachial plexus injury or phrenic nerve damage that may affect breathing.
- Perinatal Asphyxia – Lack of oxygen during birth, which can damage the fetal brain and vital organs, leading to conditions like cerebral palsy or developmental delays.
- Meconium Aspiration Syndrome – Breathing difficulties caused by inhaling meconium-stained amniotic fluid during delivery, which can exacerbate oxygen deprivation.
- Intracranial and Subgaleal Hemorrhages – These involve bleeding between layers of the scalp or brain, often associated with vacuum extractions or bleeding disorders.
- Spinal Cord Injuries – Can occur from excessive force or improper handling during delivery, causing damage to cranial nerve injuries or other nervous system structures.
- Neonatal Infections – Conditions like sepsis or meningitis may occur from untreated maternal infections, compounding birth defects or leading to serious health complications.
- Birth Trauma to Internal Organs – Excessive pressure during delivery can result in injury to the baby’s liver, spleen, or other organs.
What Causes Birth Injuries?
Birth injuries can result from various factors, often stemming from complications during the birthing process. A difficult birth, such as one involving a large baby, prolonged labor, or an unusual position in the birth canal, can increase the risk of cognitive or physical injuries to the baby or mother. Additionally, neonatal birth trauma may occur when excessive force is used during delivery, or when tools like forceps or vacuum extractors are improperly handled.
While some injuries are unavoidable, most birth injuries happen when medical negligence or poor decision-making leads to preventable harm. Understanding how an injury occurs during birth is essential for determining whether it was the result of natural complications or medical errors.
Obstetrical Malpractice
When obstetricians or nurses fail to recognize warning signs and symptoms of birth injuries or fail to follow up on warning signs, it can lead to devastating birth injuries. Some of the more common birth injuries associated with obstetrical-related malpractice include injuries caused by improper use of delivery tools, failure to monitor the baby’s vital signs, or mishandling complications during delivery.
Improper Use of Delivery Tools
The misuse of forceps or improper use of vacuum extractors during delivery can lead to serious and sometimes lifelong injuries for a newborn. These tools, while valuable for assisting with difficult deliveries, must be used with great precision and care.
When improperly applied or used with excessive force, they can cause everything from minor injuries like bruising or forceps marks to more serious birth injuries like a skull fracture, facial nerve injury, spinal cord injury, and even brain trauma, leading to significant pain and long-term developmental challenges.
Excessive Force During Delivery
Applying too much force during manual manipulation or extraction during delivery can also result in serious injuries to a newborn, including broken bones, nerve damage, and trauma to the head or neck. Excessive pulling or twisting while trying to guide the baby through the birth canal can lead to fractures, particularly in the delicate clavicle (collarbone) or other bones.
Excessive force during the birth process can also damage sensitive nerve structures, such as those in the brachial plexus, the network of nerves controlling the arms and hands. Obstetrical brachial plexus palsy may lead to weakness, loss of function, or even paralysis in the affected limb. Similarly, trauma to the baby’s head or neck can result in internal bleeding, facial nerve palsy (facial paralysis), brain injuries, or spinal cord injuries, posing significant risks to the baby’s immediate and long-term health.
Failure to Diagnose and Treat Jaundice
Failure to diagnose jaundice in newborns can lead to kernicterus, a rare but devastating condition that causes permanent brain damage. Jaundice occurs when a baby’s body has too much bilirubin, a yellow pigment produced when red blood cells break down. While mild jaundice is common and often resolves with minimal intervention, severe cases require immediate treatment. When bilirubin levels rise to dangerously high levels and are left untreated, the substance can cross the blood-brain barrier, damaging brain tissues and leading to lifelong consequences, including hearing loss, movement disorders, and intellectual disabilities. In some cases, the condition may result in seizures or abnormal eye movements.
Medication Errors
Medication errors during labor and delivery, such as the overuse or mismanagement of Pitocin and other labor-inducing medications, can lead to severe, life-altering birth injuries for both the baby and the mother. Pitocin, a synthetic form of oxytocin, is commonly used to induce or speed up labor. However, when administered in excessive doses or without proper monitoring, it can cause dangerously strong or frequent uterine contractions, reducing oxygen flow to the baby. This lack of oxygen can result in severe brain injuries, including cerebral palsy, a condition that affects movement, coordination, and muscle control.
In extreme cases, mismanagement of these medications can increase the risk of perinatal strokes, a rare but serious complication that can lead to lifelong cognitive and physical challenges. For mothers, misuse of Pitocin can cause uterine rupture, hemorrhaging, or other complications, further endangering both lives.
Failure to Monitor High-Risk Patients
High-risk pregnancies, such as those involving preeclampsia, advanced maternal age, diabetic ketoacidosis, multiple births, or preterm labor, require vigilant monitoring to identify complications early. When medical providers fail to assess vital signs, fetal heart rate, or maternal conditions adequately, critical warning signs can go unnoticed, leading to preventable brain injuries, developmental delays, or conditions like cerebral palsy. For high-risk mothers, failure to monitor can allow conditions like preeclampsia to progress unchecked, resulting in life-threatening complications such as eclampsia, stroke, or placental abruption.
Failure to Monitor Fetal Distress
Inadequate monitoring of a baby’s heart rate or oxygen levels during labor and delivery can have devastating consequences. Continuous fetal monitoring is essential for identifying signs of fetal distress, such as abnormal heart rate patterns or reduced oxygen levels, which may indicate that the baby is not receiving enough oxygen. In some cases, prolonged oxygen deprivation can result in stillbirth or long-term physical and cognitive disabilities.
Failure to Perform a Timely C-Section
Delays or failure to perform a C-section when necessary during a difficult delivery can significantly increase the risk of severe birth injury. In situations where complications such as prolonged labor, fetal distress, abnormal fetal position (breech presentation), or large babies are present, a timely C-section is often the safest course of action.
When healthcare providers delay the decision or fail to recognize the need for surgical intervention, it can lead to dangerous outcomes such as oxygen deprivation (hypoxia) for the baby, which may result in brain damage or conditions like cerebral palsy. Additionally, the baby may suffer physical injuries such as fractures or nerve damage if excessive force is used during a difficult vaginal delivery. For the mother, delaying a necessary C-section can result in complications like uterine rupture, severe hemorrhaging, or other life-threatening conditions.
Postpartum Negligence
For mothers, conditions such as postpartum hemorrhage, uterine infections, or surgical site infections (after a C-section) require immediate attention to prevent severe complications like sepsis, organ failure, or even death.
When medical providers fail to conduct regular assessments, track vital signs, or identify symptoms like fever, pain, or abnormal discharge, these conditions can escalate rapidly, placing the mother’s life at risk. For newborns, inadequate post-birth monitoring can result in missed signs of conditions such as neonatal infections, including pneumonia, meningitis, or sepsis. These infections often develop quickly and require prompt diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics or other interventions.
Maternal Complications
Babies born during complicated pregnancies or deliveries are at a higher risk of experiencing birth injuries. These injuries occur often when maternal complications, such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, maternal obesity, or infections, are not properly managed or addressed by medical providers.
Below is a list of common maternal complications that, if left unaddressed, may contribute to birth injuries with severe symptoms and long-term consequences for families.
Preeclampsia or Eclampsia
Preeclampsia and eclampsia are serious conditions that can develop during pregnancy. Preeclampsia, characterized by high blood pressure and damage to organs like the liver or kidneys, can restrict blood flow to the placenta, reducing the baby’s oxygen and nutrient supply. If preeclampsia progresses to eclampsia, which involves seizures in the mother, the risks to both mother and baby escalate, often requiring an emergency cesarean section to prevent life-threatening outcomes.
Birth injuries associated with preeclampsia or eclampsia include cerebral palsy, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD) or stillbirth, and low birth weight, which can increase the risk of other complications. For the mother, these conditions can result in stroke, organ failure, or postpartum hemorrhaging.
Uterine Rupture
A tear in the uterus during labor, also known as a uterine rupture, is a rare but serious complication that can have devastating consequences for both mother and baby. This condition occurs when the uterine wall tears, often along a previous C-section scar or other areas weakened by surgery or trauma. When a uterine rupture happens, it can interrupt the baby’s oxygen supply, leading to hypoxia.
Additionally, the baby may experience physical trauma if displaced into the mother’s abdominal cavity, increasing the risk of injuries such as fractures or nerve damage. If not addressed immediately, uterine rupture can also lead to complications like stillbirth or life-threatening hemorrhaging for the mother.
Placental Complications
Conditions like placental abruption and placenta previa can severely disrupt the baby’s oxygen and nutrient supply during pregnancy or delivery. Placental abruption occurs when the placenta detaches from the uterine wall prematurely, reducing or cutting off the flow of oxygen and nutrients through the umbilical cord. Similarly, placenta previa, where the placenta partially or completely blocks the cervix, can cause heavy bleeding and impede the baby’s access to necessary nutrients and oxygen, especially during labor and delivery.
Prolonged Labor
Extended or difficult labor can place significant stress on both the mother and the baby. When labor lasts too long or progresses abnormally, it can lead to complications such as uterine exhaustion, reduced oxygen flow to the baby, and excessive pressure on the baby’s head and body.
Prolonged labor often results in fetal distress, as contractions can lead to a compressed umbilical cord, cutting off the baby’s oxygen and nutrient supply. If not managed promptly, this oxygen deprivation can lead to HIE or other long-term brain injuries. The physical strain of extended labor can also result in injuries such as brachial plexus injuries if excessive force is used during delivery to free the baby from the birth canal. For the mother, extended labor increases the risk of uterine rupture, severe bleeding, or infections.
Maternal Infections
Untreated maternal infections during pregnancy, such as Group B streptococcus (GBS) or chorioamnionitis, can lead to severe complications. Group B strep is a bacterial infection that can be passed to the baby during delivery if not identified and treated with antibiotics beforehand. When transmitted, GBS can cause life-threatening conditions like sepsis, pneumonia, or meningitis in the newborn.
Similarly, chorioamnionitis, an infection of the amniotic fluid and surrounding membranes, can result in preterm labor, reduced oxygen and nutrient supply to the baby, and systemic infection, all of which heighten the likelihood of injury.
Fetal Complications
Fetal complications such as abnormal positioning, umbilical cord issues, or intrauterine growth restriction can create challenges that place stress on the baby and lead to preventable harm.
Oxygen Deprivation (Birth Asphyxia)
Lack of oxygen to the brain is one of the leading causes of birth injuries. This condition, known as hypoxia (reduced oxygen) or anoxia (complete absence of oxygen), can occur due to complications such as umbilical cord compression, placental abruption, prolonged labor, or failure to perform a timely C-section. When a baby’s brain is deprived of oxygen, even for a short time, the damage can be severe and permanent.
These brain-related birth injuries can result in cerebral palsy, a condition that affects movement, coordination, and muscle tone, as well as subcutaneous fat necrosis, developmental delays, and other forms of brain injury. In severe cases, prolonged oxygen deprivation can lead to wrongful death, devastating families emotionally and financially.
Shoulder Dystocia
When a baby’s shoulder becomes wedged against the mother’s pelvic bones during delivery, a condition known as shoulder dystocia, it can result in significant birth injuries. This complication places excessive strain on the baby’s neck and shoulders as they become trapped in the birth canal. In many cases, the force required to dislodge the shoulder can damage the brachial plexus, a network of nerves responsible for controlling movement and sensation in the arms and hands. Brachial plexus birth palsy is characterized by weakness, loss of function, or paralysis in the affected arm.
Cephalopelvic Disproportion or Macrosomia (Large Baby)
When a fetus is too large to safely pass through the mother’s pelvis, a condition known as cephalopelvic disproportion (CPD), timely medical intervention is critical to prevent serious complications. In these cases, doctors may need to order an emergency cesarean section or take other measures, such as using assistive delivery tools like forceps or a vacuum extractor.
These interventions are necessary to prevent prolonged labor, which can cause excessive stress on both the baby and the mother. Without appropriate action, the baby may become stuck in the birth canal, leading to complications such as shoulder dystocia, brachial plexus injuries, HIE, or cerebral palsy. For the mother, delaying a necessary C-section can increase the risk of uterine rupture, severe bleeding, or postpartum infections.
Premature Birth
Premature infants, born before 37 weeks of gestation, are significantly more vulnerable to birth injuries due to their underdeveloped organs and fragile body structure. Their delicate bodies, including softer bones and immature nervous systems, are less equipped to handle the stress of labor and delivery compared to full-term babies. The lungs of premature infants are often underdeveloped, increasing the risk of respiratory distress syndrome, which can result in oxygen deprivation and subsequent brain injuries.
Additionally, the fragile blood vessels in their brains make premature babies more susceptible to intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), a type of brain bleed that can cause developmental delays or lifelong neurological complications. Their smaller size and low birth weight also increase the likelihood of physical injuries, such as fractures or nerve damage, particularly if assistive delivery tools are improperly used.
Umbilical Cord Complications
Issues involving the umbilical cord, such as a prolapsed umbilical cord, the cord becoming wrapped around the baby’s neck (nuchal cord), or umbilical cord compression, can severely restrict oxygen and blood flow to the baby, leading to serious complications. A prolapsed umbilical cord occurs when the cord slips through the cervix ahead of the baby, placing it at risk of being compressed during delivery. This compression can cut off the supply of oxygen and nutrients.
Breech Birth
When a baby is born feet or buttocks first, a condition known as a breech birth, the risk of birth injuries significantly increases due to the unusual positioning during delivery. In a normal head-first delivery, the baby’s head, the largest part of the body, is delivered first, paving the way for the rest of the body to follow smoothly.
In a breech position, however, the baby’s head is delivered last, often resulting in complications as the head may become trapped in the birth canal, potentially resulting in oxygen deprivation and added stress on the baby’s neck, shoulders, and spine.
Call the Ohio and Kentucky Birth Injury Attorneys at TLF For a Free Consultation Today
When the negligence of a medical professional causes birth injury, it is crucial to seek experienced legal guidance to navigate this challenging situation. Traumatic birth injury cases can lead to significant physical and emotional challenges, often requiring long-term treatments like physical therapy, medications, adaptive medical devices, and more for recovery. Medical professionals and insurance providers aggressively defend against birth injury lawsuits, but our Covington and Cincinnati medical malpractice attorneys at TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm work to even the playing field, providing our clients with the strong representation they need and deserve.
If you or your child has suffered due to preventable birth trauma or any type of medical negligence, including cases involving babies delivered under high-risk conditions or risk factors that were improperly managed, our lawyers are here to protect your rights. Contact us today online or by telephone at (800) 698-4054 to arrange a free initial consultation.
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