Brain Trauma At Birth
Medical Malpractice Lawyers
Is cesarean surgery safer than vaginal birth? Not necessarily. Although it is true that intracranial bleeding was more common in babies born vaginally, it does not mean that vaginal birth caused the intercranial bleeding and there were no symptoms, short-term bad outcomes or long-term bad outcomes in any of the babies studied. On the contrary, cesarean surgery is known to increase risks for the baby (particularly breathing problems), the mother, and the mother's future babies.
How worrisome is intracranial bleeding? The high rate of intracranial bleeding suggests that it is probably a common occurrence and the lack of symptoms or bad outcomes suggests that it is not dangerous to babies. Just as bruising clears up, these small bleeds probably do, too.
However, it is possible that the bleeding seen in some of the babies may have been caused by harmful care practices in vaginal birth, such as a birthing coach pushing with the woman flat on her back aggressive pulling on the baby's head as it is born or drugs or procedures that stimulate strong contractions. The study did not look at these factors, so it is impossible to know whether any of them are related to intracranial bleeding in babies. The best precautionary advice is to avoid the routine or frequent use of interventions or care practices that may put excessive pressure on the baby during birth.
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Does my baby need to be screened for intracranial bleeding? Healthy babies do not need to be screened for intracranial bleeding. If your baby undergoes MRI for a specific reason and intracranial bleeding is found, it is important to realize that a small amount of intracranial bleeding is common, is not necessarily due to trauma, and is not always associated with long-term poor outcomes.
Many of the problems commonly experienced in infancy may be caused by the forces of labor and delivery.
May the force of birth be with you - If the compressive forces of birth are too great, the nervous system may become overwhelmed, and the skull bones may not be able to fully re-expand to their normal ease after the birth.
Some births may not appear at all problematic, but can still produce substantial compression. An abnormally quick labor may prove equally overwhelming as one that is long and difficult.
Cesarean Sections: When it a C-Section necessary?
- To save the life of the newborn
- To unstuck the infant from the birth canal after extended periods of time
- Or when the baby bursts through too quickly (shock)
Other reasons...
Squeezing through the birth canal initiates a cascade of events that readies babies for the outside world by squeezing fluid from the baby's lungs, by taking the powerful first breath, by stimulating the central nervous system and circulatory system.
The circulatory system is responsible for
- The umbilical vessels spasm shut. Blood no longer comes from or goes to the placenta.
- A hole in the heart closes.
- The lungs now infiltrate and oxygenate the blood.
- The liver metabolizes.
- The kidneys filter the blood.
- The GI tract absorbs all nutrients.
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These adaptive changes must occur in a systematic and orderly manner, and place huge demands on the newborn. When the transition to extra-uterine life is too quick, these changes in the vascular system become disorganized. Though no apparent newborn brain trauma may have happened, the infant may be weak or susceptible to infection.
Like adults, each infant is unique. Some infants seem to tolerate significant trauma from birth, without ill effects. Others are disrupted by even the slightest occurrence. Each is born with individual sensitivities.
