What is a birth injury?
Occasionally during the birth process, the baby may suffer a physical injury that is simply the result of being born. This is sometimes called birth trauma or birth injury.
What causes birth injury?
Birth injuries are more common when:
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The baby is large
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The baby is not head-first in the birth canal
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The baby is born prematurely or too early
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The size or shape of the mother's pelvis or birth canal makes it difficult for a normal vaginal birth
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Labor is difficult or very long. An example of this is when contractions aren't strong enough to move the baby through the birth canal.
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The mother is very overweight
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There is a cesarean delivery
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Devices, like vacuum or forceps, are used to deliver the baby
What are some of the more common birth injuries?
The following are common birth injuries:
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Swelling or bruising of the head
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Bleeding underneath one of the cranial bones.
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Breakage of small blood vessels in the eyes of a baby
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Facial nerve injury caused by pressure on the baby's face
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Injury to the group of nerves that supplies the arms and hands
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Fracture of the clavicle or collarbone
