Birth injury : causes, types, birth injuries treatment

Birth injury

While passing through birth canal during delivery, baby may get an injury against birth canal, or instruments to used to assist the delivery, is termed as birth injury.

causes of birth injury:

• Birth injury or birth trauma can occur when baby is large by size to pass in birth canal
• Overweight babies, more than weight of 4 kg.
• Premature babies, as premature baby is not well developed may get injury.
• Cephalopelvic disproportion : head of baby is large when compared to pelvis of mother.
• Difficulty in labor, i.e. dystocia.
• Prolonged labour, due to poor uterine contraction.
• Improper management of second stage of labor.
• Breech presentation, shoulder presentation, etc.
• Inadequate or poor antenatal care may lead to birth injury.
• Excessive external force used to facilitate delivery.

Common birth injuries:-

Caput succedaneum : is a severe swelling of soft scalp tissue, while baby passing through birth canal. babies born with vacuum extraction usually develop caput succedaneum. It disappears
after few days.

Cerebral palsy : is a birth injury occurs when brain is damaged and it refers to all movement related disorders in body.

Cephalohematoma or head injury : is the bleeding occurs between scalp bones due to injury at birth. This appears like a lump after several hours of delivery. As per severity of injury it is healed within one week or two weeks; is healed when body reabsorbs bled blood.

Bruising or forceps injury : bruising is appeared on the face and body surface of baby, when body is excess compressed to maternal pelvis. Baby may also get mark of forceps on face and body when forceps are used to assist the delivery.

Subconjunctival hemorrhage : is the hemorrhage occurs in the eyes due to rupture of small vessels in eye. The red ring is formed around iris, and it disappears after one or two weeks.

Facial paralysis : Paralysis of facial muscle occurs when facial nerves are compressed during delivery. Paralysis of facial muscle is absorbed when bay cries, it may not move one side muscles ans can’t close an eye in paralyzed side. If mild compression and only bruising of nerve, no need of treatment and get cured in some days.

Brachial palsy : is a birth injury while shoulder nerve  is compressed during labor and baby is unable to move, flex and rotate the hand. This birth birth injury occurs when prolonged labor or difficult delivery called shoulder dystocia. if nerve is severely damaged, kind attention is needed and special exercises to be done after some days. Recover may take to
three two four months. Physical therapy is effective to treat brachial palsy and surgery is needed
in some cases.

Hip dysplasia : is a dislocation of leg from pelvis. careful examination and observation is needed
till the baby walks.

Fractures : fracture of collar bone or clavicle is the commonest fracture as a birth injury. When difficult in shoulder delivery, this fracture may occur. Baby won’t move or movement is limited in affected side. The lump is formed at the site of injury and is healed when bone develops in some weeks. To avoid pain, limit the hand movement and splint application is needed.