ChildRC: Birth Injury Resource Center

Home > Birth Injury Information > Other Types of Birth Injuries

Other Types of Birth Injuries

Other Types of Birth Injuries

In addition to Erb’s palsy and cerebral palsy, there are other, less well-known birth injuries that occur during childbirth.

While any kind of birth injury is alarming, some resolve in time with little or no treatment. However, complications can make the prognosis less favorable in certain cases. The following examples describe these types of birth injuries:

Brain Injury

Among all types of birth injuries, damage to the brain is most likely to cause permanent, disabling affects. Because brain injuries cover a spectrum of problems for newborns, it is difficult to characterize long-term prognoses, as success depends in part on the severity of the injury.

Caput Succedaneum

During the birthing process, uterine contractions exert tremendous pressure on the fetus. This pressure is the driving force that propels the newborn through the birth canal. It is also one of the causes of Caput Succedaneum, a severe swelling of the soft tissues of the baby's scalp.

Use of vacuum extraction to deliver a baby may increase the risk for Caput Succedaneum, which can lead to bruising and discoloration, as well as molding of the head. Although this birth injury typically disappears in a matter of days without further problems, jaundice is an occasional complication.

Cephalohematoma

Sometimes the pressure exerted on the fetus during childbirth causes bleeding between the bones of the scalp and the tough membrane that protects them. Cephalohematoma is the medical term for the collection of blood and bruising at the site of the bleeding.

The use of forceps or vacuum extraction increases the risk for this birth injury, and in the case of forceps delivery, the bleeding may be a sign of a skull fracture. Typically appearing several hours after delivery, most Cephalohematomas disappear completely within two to three months without complications. If the Cephalohematoma is large, jaundice may occur as the red blood cells break down.

Fractures

Fractures can happen to newborns in both traumatic and non-traumatic deliveries. The bone most commonly fractured is the collar bone, often as the result of shoulder dystocia. These factures usually heal quickly and without complication.

Fractures of the bones in the legs and arms sometimes occur during difficult deliveries; they usually heal well. Skull fractures are uncommon and typically caused by the use of forceps.

Klumpke's Palsy

Another form of Erb’s palsy is Klumpke's palsy. This rare birth injury is caused by damage to the lower brachial plexus, resulting in paralysis of the hand and wrist.

Most Klumpke’s palsy injuries resolve completely over time.

Facial Paralysis

Pressure on a baby's face during labor or the use of forceps during delivery may cause injury to the facial nerve, resulting in facial paralysis.

Facial paralysis is often visible when the baby cries, as there is no movement and the eye does not close on the affected side of the face. Depending on the extent of damage to the nerve, this injury may heal in a few weeks or surgery may be required.

Other types of birth injuries include cerebral Palsy, Erb’s palsy, and Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN).

Find out about different treatments for children with birth injuries.

Start the process of getting your birth injury legal questions answered.