Top 5 common pregnancy/birth injuries

Birth can be a very complicated medical process, with a high level of risk involved both to the mother and the baby. There are many factors with can potentially cause injury and these injuries can be temporary or permanent.

A few injuries that are experienced by the baby during birth are listed below:

1. Caput Succedaneum: The intense swelling of baby’s scalp due to high presses against the cervix. This happens when the labor period is longer than usual. Also babies born with the help of vacuum extractions are more prone to this birth injury. The swelling of the head usually disappears within a few days, but if it persists then it needs to be consulted with the doctor.

2. Fractures and Dislocations: Fracture of the collarbone during delivery is very common. The bone usually heals within 10 days of the birth, but parents need to be advised as how to make sure the discomfort because of the injury in minimised and it is very important that no pressure is applied to the area. The pain will take some time to disappear, and medicine must be fed to the baby at timely intervals.

Dislocated hips are also very common in new-borns, a doctor will normal test for this as soon as the baby is born along with other immediate health checks.

3. Facial Paralysis: If pressure is exerted on the facial nerves of the baby during delivery, then it can lead to facial paralysis. This can be noticed when the baby cries, one side might not show any movement. If the nerve is only bruised, then the paralysis will heal on its own within few weeks of the deliver. However if the nerve is damaged, then a surgery will follow to repair the damaged nerve.

4. Sub Conjunctival Hemorrhage: This very common in babies. The blood vessel around the iris of the eyes gets broken resulting in redness around it. This disappears within a week or 10 days after delivery. This condition calls for no immediate attention.

5. Cerebral Palsy: This is a group of conditions which occur during birth when the cerebral part of the brain is damaged, one cause being if the baby deprived of oxygen during delivery. Cerebral Palsy has varying degrees of severity, with some only suffering from reflexes while other children can have limited movement or control in the movement of their limbs.