Preeclampsia, Placental Abruption and Birth Injuries
It is estimated that every 1 in 100 births is affected by preeclampsia and placental abruption. These conditions can not only cause harm to the baby, but to the mother as well. Often times these birth injuries can have an impact on the child for the rest of their life. Preeclampsia occurs when an expectant...
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Complications from Fetal Macrosomia
A baby born weighing more than 8 pounds 13 ounces (or 4,000 grams) weighs significantly more than the average baby, and so meets the definition for macrosomia, or “big baby syndrome”, which carries with it the risk of injury during delivery. If the baby’s birthweight is even greater – 9 pounds 15 ounces (or 4,500...
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Seizure Activity in Newborns – Hypoxia
According to the Florida Neonatal Neurological Network about 20 out of every 1,000 full term births will be affected by a lack of oxygen to the brain (hypoxia) during labor and delivery. Babies who are born prematurely are at even greater risk, because their lungs are not fully developed and they are unable to fully...
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Periventricular Leukomalacia in Newborns
Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is an injury to the brain which occurs when tissue deep in the baby’s brain, called the white matter, dies away or is damaged. If a baby’s brain does not receive enough oxygen during labor and delivery, the brain cells in the baby’s white matter can die or be damaged. The patches...
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Birth Injury Due To Placental Abruption
The placenta is an organ that develops inside a woman’s uterus during pregnancy. Once a baby is conceived, the placenta forms to supply oxygen and nutrients to the baby, as well as remove waste products from the baby’s blood. The placenta attaches to the uterine wall, and the baby’s umbilical cord arises from it. In...
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Microcephaly Following Hypoxic Brain Injury at Birth
Microcephaly is a medical condition defined by a small head circumference. It is noticeable as a disproportionately small head for the size of the growing child. There are many different ways this condition can develop, including preventable brain injury at birth, which stunts the growth of the baby’s brain and skull. Acquired microcephaly in very...
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Chorioamnionitis
Chorioamnionitis is a serious complication during labor that may result in serious, irreversible injuries to the mother and child at birth. Affecting approximately 10% of pregnancies, this condition is also known as intra-amniotic infection (IAI). Chorioamnionitis is characterized by inflammation and infection of the fetal membranes (amnion and chorion) due to a bacterial infection. This...
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Incompetent Cervix
An incompetent cervix, also called a cervical insufficiency, is a potentially serious condition of pregnancy that occurs when weak cervical tissue causes or contributes to premature birth or the loss of an otherwise healthy pregnancy. This type of condition has been described by experts as a “diagnostic dilemma”. Because an incompetent cervix can often be...
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Vacuum Extraction And Subgaleal Hematoma
Approximately 5% (1 in 20) of all deliveries in the United States are operative vaginal deliveries. An operative vaginal delivery refers to a physician’s use of either forceps or a vacuum device when a woman’s labor has stalled. Over time, the rate of operative vaginal delivery has been steadily decreasing. However, the number of vacuum-assisted...
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Vacuum-Assisted Delivery And Birth Injury
Sometimes, during the labor and delivery process, the baby needs a little help getting through the birth canal. Approximately 1 out of 20 vaginal deliveries in the United States result in some form of assistance being required. Prolonged labor can be dangerous to the baby as well as extremely painful and exhausting to the mother....
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