Children are born every day without complications, but in some cases, something goes wrong, and the baby suffers a birth injury. In many of these cases, better medical care could have prevented the injury.
The causes of birth injuries are often preventable if you receive proper prenatal care and your doctor is attentive and present during the birth.
Issues during delivery
According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, birth injuries may occur due to trouble during the delivery process. Issues during delivery may happen because the baby is too large to fit through the birth canal or due to the position of the baby not being ideal for delivery. These issues are something your doctor should be able to diagnose prior to delivery.
You could also have cephalopelvic disproportion, which is an issue with the size and shape of your pelvis that can impact delivery. Again, this is something your doctor should know about and plan for prior to delivery.
Issues with prematurity
Another issue that could lead to birth injuries is a premature delivery. In some cases, this happens without warning, but often, the trigger for early delivery is something that proper prenatal care should have uncovered.
Premature babies are especially fragile. It is not uncommon for premature births to result in a caesarian section, which allows for more care and control by the doctor during delivery. It is still possible, though, for you to give birth vaginally as long as your doctor has a plan in place to ensure the safety of your baby during labor and after birth.