Chicago Birth Injury Lawyer Blog

Earlier this week our Illinois birth accident lawyer shared information about the risks presented by certain products meant to protect newborns, like crib bumpers. We also alluded to other common ways that infants and toddlers are severely injured by seemingly innocuous products or objects, such as window blind cords. Unfortunately, accidents still strike even though awareness of these dangers has spread.

For example, the Daily Mail just reported on the tragic blind cord accident that has just left a two-year old girl permanently brain damaged and paralyzed. According to reports the young victim was put to bed by her parents last week at her regular time. However, without her parents knowing, the toddler crawled out of bed and began walking along a window near her room. However, the loop in the blind cord somehow became tangled on the girl’s neck. It began choking her and depriving oxygen to the brain. It was only a fluke by which the girl’s father happened to be walking by his daughter’s room and saw her hanging unconscious from the window. He immediately began performing CPR, and an ambulance was called.

Fortunately, the emergency rescuers were able to stabilize the girl but not before permanent brain damage resulted. The family reports that the child will have severe repercussions on the rest of her life. She will no longer be able to walk, talk, or feed herself. Obviously she will require close life-long care. The child was in a coma for a week after the accident, and has been in a rehabilitation facility for the severely disabled since her release from the hospital.

Our Illinois injury attorneys remain very saddened by these stories of serious injury—and sometimes death—caused by dangerous products. Looped blind cords have already been banned in the United States, specifically because of the dangers they pose to young children. However, that does not mean that these cords do not exist in homes where toddlers may be present. The ban affects the manufacture of these products. Many older homeowners who have not changes these cords may still have them up, exposing youngsters to unnecessary risks. It is incumbent that all families take stock to ensure that they do not have these dangerous products.

Families, day-care operators, babysitters, and all those who interact with young children should ensure that all forms of hidden dangers are investigated. While news of these stories shock the conscience and may appear like flukes that cannot be guarded against, oftentimes simple acts could have prevented the tragedy. Our Illinois birth injury lawyers have helped many families deal with the consequences of accidents that have affected their young children. Even those situations which at first do not seem caused by any negligence are ultimately discovered to have a root cause in certain carelessness. In the birth injury context, that typically includes problems during the birth of the child or inadequate care being given to the mother during the course of the pregnancy. Fortunately, the law protects victims of these situations. Please give us a call if you or a loved one may have been hurt in this way to see if we can help.

See Our Related Blog Posts:

Child Safety Advocates Warn Against Using Crib Bumpers

Family of Injured Boy Seeks Approval of $30M Award in Birth Injury Lawsuit

Our Illinois birth injury attorneys were interested to learn about a new development in which many experts believe that a new screening test for newborn babies aiming at detecting heart problems could help reduce the number of birth injuries in newborns. Many birth injuries are detectable at the time the baby is born but certain types of birth injuries, such as heart problems, are often times not as obvious or detectable as others birth problems. For example, if the baby is not receiving oxygen it is clear that the baby is in trouble once they are born, and even a fetal distress monitor maybe able to detect an oxygen deprivation problem even before the baby is delivered. With birth problems that are more visible, there is hopefully enough time for the doctors and nurses to fix the problem and for the baby to be completely fine. However, when the baby suffers from a problem that is not apparent to the doctors or to the nurses at the time the baby is born there is a fear that the birth injury will do serious damage to the baby before any help is given.

While many types of heart problems are easily testable, about a quarter of heart defects in newborn babies, are not detectable by the normal tests that are usually given at birth. This type of hard to detect heart defect does not necessarily present any obvious signs and because of this doctors, nurses, and parents may not realize that there is a problem with the newborn baby. According to Voice of America, medical experts have discovered a new type of test, which is non-invasive to the newborn baby, in which the doctor can test for this hard to detect form of a heart defect. This test measures the level of oxygen in the baby’s blood, and when the levels of oxygen are too low it may be evidence of this type of rare heart defect. The ability to test for this other type of heart defect in newborn babies allow the doctors and nurses to monitor the baby more closely, and make it much less likely that the baby will be sent home without the treatment that it needs.

The oxygen level test can also help to identify other birth problems, such as infections to the baby that may go undetected if the test is not given. Many birth injury experts feel that this test could really help to reduce the number of serious birth problems, because it would help doctors and nurses realize that there is a problem with the baby before the damage is too severe. and give them the time necessary to fully treat the baby Our Chicago birth injury attorneys are happy to hear that there may be a way to help keep the number of damaging birth injuries down, and help keep more newborns healthy.

If you or a loved one had a baby that was not diagnosed as suffering from a birth injury, and then later suffered from injuries related to his misdiagnosis, please contact our personal injury law firm to discuss what options may be available to you. Our Illinois birth injury attorneys have helped clients from all over Illinois with their personal injury lawsuits and are here to help you with your case, so please call us today!

Our Illinois birth injury attorneys worry about babies that are born with any type of oxygen deprivation, because even if severe brain injury does not result immediately there still may be cognitive and developmental injuries and defects that result later on in the child’s life. According to the American Psychological Association’s study and Science Blog, even slight oxygen deprivation may be dangerous to babies, especially those babies that are born premature because they are typically more susceptible and vulnerable than full term babies. This type of lack of oxygen injury may not present itself until later on, and is not as easy to spot as an immediate injury caused by oxygen deprivation at birth.

When any baby (premature or full term) is born and suffers from oxygen deprivation for a significant amount of time, there may be severe brain damage that results and that is apparent immediately. This type of birth injury is often times preventable, but sometimes the damage to the baby occurs anyway due to the doctor’s negligence and the doctor’s failure to exercise the appropriate level of care. This severe brain injury can lead to a lifetime of medical care and rehabilitation and is often times the subject of a negligence birth injury lawsuit against the doctor or hospital responsible.

However, the type of birth injury that is less obvious, at least immediately, results from a shorter period of oxygen deprivation to babies that may be more vulnerable (such as premature babies). Studies have shown that premature babies that suffered from oxygen deprivation ended up more likely to have language developmental, as well as other cognitive developmental problems, that become apparent over time. This psychological study and finding show that the effects of oxygen deprivation are not just all or nothing and that there may be more of a gray area in terms of what any level of oxygen deprivation may do to a newborn.

Many birth injury lawsuits are filed by parents when their baby suffered a severe birth injury, such as a brain injury, cerebral palsy, or another developmental defect, due to a significant lack of oxygen at birth. However, parents may not realize the long term effects of even a slight oxygen deprivation if the baby seems to be fine, both physical and mentally, shortly after birth. However, if these problems arise later in the child’s development, the family may still have options available to them. If a doctor or other hospital staff member was negligent in causing or delaying the oxygen flow to the baby even for a short period of time, and any injury to the baby did result, please contact a birth injury attorney to discuss the options available to you and your family.

Our personal injury law firm has helped victims of birth injuries all over Illinois, and have helped recover millions of dollars for the medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages sustained as a result of another’s negligence. If you or a loved one gave birth to a baby that suffered a birth injury resulting from a lack of oxygen at birth, and signs of this injury appeared either immediately or later in the child’s development, please contact our birth injury attorneys immediately to discuss what has happened to you or your family and what next steps may be available to you.

Our Illinois birth injury attorneys learned that the United States Food and Drug Administration recently issued a warning that the drug Diflucan has been linked to birth injuries in a number of cases where the mother was taking the drug while she was pregnant. Diflucan is a drug that is often used to treat yeast infections in patients and sometimes used to treats a certain type of meningitis in patients. The birth defects that have been associated with using Diflucan were found to be present, if at all, if taken during the first trimester of the pregnancy and included physical developmental issues, bone development issues, and heart problems. While the FDA did issue a warning against taking this drug during pregnancy, according to FDA’s website, if the drug was prescribed for a very serious condition that a doctor should be consulted to see if staying on the medicine or coming off the medicine will be best for the mother and baby. The reason that it is important to consult with a doctor is that there does not appear to be risk associated with a single low dose of the medicine, so a doctor may still recommend that a pregnant person take one small dosage if they deem it necessary for the mother for her and the baby’s overall health.

All doctors should be aware of the dangers of prescribing Diflucan, or other drugs that are linked to birth defects, to pregnant patients. If a doctor fails to realize that the drug being prescribed may be dangerous, or if the doctor fails to warn the pregnant mother of the dangers associated with taking the medication during pregnancy, that doctor may be held liable if the baby is born with a birth defect or a birth injury. Often times taking drugs known to be linked with birth defects affect the way in which the baby is developing during the pregnancy and may cause the baby to be born with severe developmental problems.

The reason that our birth injury attorneys want to remind all pregnant women of the importance of the doctor exercising the highest level of care with all patients is because this type of birth injury is completely preventable if the doctor does not act negligently. By either not prescribing certain medications to pregnant patients, or making sure that the patient is completely aware of the risk associated with taking a certain medication, the doctor can help eliminate this type of terrible tragedy.

If you or a loved one was prescribed a drug that has been associated with birth defects, and that drug was prescribed to you by your doctor and the doctor failed to warn you of the dangers associated with the drug, you may have a birth injury lawsuit against the doctor for their negligence. If at the time that the drug was taken, there was no published or known information regarding a connection between the drug and birth injuries, you may have a potential personal injury lawsuit against the manufacturer of the medication. In any case, if you were an expecting mother and were prescribed a drug that led to birth injuries to your baby, please contact our personal injury law firm today to discuss what possible options may be available to you and your family.

The number of deliveries via cesarean section is on the rise, but like any surgical procedure, there are always risks associated with this method. Our Chicago birth injury attorneys recently read an article on the HealthDay page on USNews.com in which we were surprised to learn that the number of c-sections increased 7% from 2002 to 2009. Although they are often convenient, experts warn that these procedures can be dangerous and should only be performed when necessary to protect the health and well-being of both mothers and babies.

According to the report, the rise in the number of cesareans is a result of a number of factors. For one, many mothers and physicians appreciate the convenience of knowing when the child will be delivered. There is also an increase in the number of older women giving birth and those suffering from diabetes and obesity, so physicians may choose c-sections to avoid birth injuries or other complications during delivery. The article also notes that many women may not fully understand the risks associated with cesarean surgery.

As with any surgery, there are a number of potentially serious complications associated with c-sections. In our practice, we represent mothers and children who have been injured during the birth process. Although many c-sections are planned, some mothers require emergency cesareans when complications during birth arise. This could be because the baby is not properly descending through the mother’s birth canal or a breech birth. Although when performed in these situations, a c-section is necessary and actually used as a remedy, sometimes they are delayed, in which case the child may suffer birth injuries. Our Illinois birth injury lawyers have represented clients in cases in which a physician’s failure to perform a c-section in a timely manner led to birth injuries, including a recent $6.5 million settlement for a young girl who suffers from cerebral palsy as a result of a delayed c-section.

Surgical errors and complications may occur during both planned and emergency cesareans. This can include anesthesia errors, blood clots, infection, cardiac arrest, perforated or severed bowels, or severe postpartum bleeding. Although in some cases a c-section may be a mother’s best option to minimize risk to her unborn child, due to the serious nature of these complications, it is important for women and their doctors to carefully weigh their options before deciding whether or not to perform a c-section.

Our Chicago birth injury attorneys often receive troubling calls from heartbroken parents describing incidents of shoulder dystocia. According to a recent article from MissionLocal.org, shoulder dystocia is a birth complication often associated with, but not limited to pregnant women with diabetes. Shoulder dystocia occurs when a child’s head is delivered, but the shoulders of the child are unable to pass through the birth canal. When this occurs, the child is immediately in jeopardy of suffering serious birth injuries or even death. According to the report, sometimes doctors are able to avoid injury by quickly repositioning the child, but others aren’t so lucky.

Shoulder dystocia is one of the most dangerous birth complications. Once the head of a baby is delivered, significant strain is placed on the umbilical cord. In a typical childbirth setting this is not a problem because of the relatively short period of time between delivery of a baby’s head and shoulders. In shoulder dystocia cases, however, the prolonged stress often leads to permanent injuries.

John Perconti filed a lawsuit against Evanston Hospital in 2005 for complications suffered by Denise Juarez when the birth complication of shoulder dystocia caused her to ultimately suffer from Erb’s palsy, which is the weakness or loss of movement caused by damage to the nerve bundles at one’s shoulders.

While some cases involving shoulder dystocia can not be predicted, many others can, and failing to diagnose a fetus with a high propensity of suffering a shoulder dystocia is medical malpractice. In the case of Denise, the facility was negligent in a number of ways. The staff failed to perform an ultrasound prior to delivering Denise to determine her size, given the fact that Denise’s mother had previously delivered a large baby. Additionally, the staff failed to inform Denise’s mother of her increased risk for shoulder dystocia and failed to offer a Caesarean section as an option to reduce these risks. Finally, during delivery, the labor and delivery team failed to perform the proper disimpaction techniques, and the doctors applied excessive force causing Denise’s permanent nerve damage.

John and the rest of the birth injury lawyer team at Levin and Perconti, using their knowledge gained over many years practicing in the area, were able to settle Denise’s case for $1.3 million dollars. This money will help provide Denise the care and treatment necessary to live a more normal life.

HealthBeat recently reported on the amount of cesearean sections in the past 35 years. Results show that numbers have tripled. Expectant mothers are likely now, more so than ever, to choose a c-section in advance rather than undergo a vaginal birth. In addition, according to another research study, the number of induced births has also increased. It has been reported that nearly 40% of births are electively induced – meaning that there was no medical necessity requiring the induction.

But while these numbers are growing, so are the complications attributed to each of these procedures. During induction, women are administered the drug Pitocin. Because induced labor is often painful, women are also given an epidural. Epidurals can increase the chances of a vacuum or forceps being used during delivery. Furthermore, because babies born by induced labors can often be born too early, the babies will likely be required to stay in the hospital’s neonatal care unit a lot longer than most infants.

Similarly, as addressed by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS): “Cesareans are associated with higher rates of surgical complications and maternal re-hospitalization as well as with complications requiring neonatal intensive care unit admission… In addition hospital charges for a Cesarean delivery are almost double those for a vaginal delivery.” Moreover, c-sections are major surgeries which require the patient to recover afterwards. This recovery can often take several weeks.

But while more and more women are choosing to undergo these pre-planned types of births, other women don’t have a choice. At times, c-sections are vital and if not done properly or efficiently, they can often lead to other birth injuries. It is extremely important for healthcare professionals to be cautious and thorough when dealing with such emergency situations in order to minimize error and avoid birth injury lawsuits. However, as our Chicago birth injury attorneys know, that is not always the case.

Continue reading "Trends and complications of cesarean sections and induced labor may lead to birth injury lawsuits" »

A newborn in California recently received the benefits of an innovative therapy that cools the baby’s body to decrease brain injury. This therapy helps minimize birth-related brain injuries that can cause cerebral palsy, neurological problems and other cognitive delays.

The California newborn had been cut off from oxygen and was beginning to swell after his birth. There is only a small window of opportunity in which the therapy can be beneficiation. Doctors had around six hours to drop the baby’s body temperature to 92.3 degrees, about 6 degrees below normal.

To read more about this newborn’s success with this ground-breaking therapy, please visit The Fresno Bee.

Lower body temperatures have long been known to minimize brain injury. However, doctors have debated about the best method in which to lower a baby’s temperature. Since speed is a critical factor in the therapy’s success, the hospital used a whole-body cooling blanket designed for newborns deprived of oxygen. The blanket system is designed to quickly induce whole-body hypothermia.

A lack of oxygen to the brain causes hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. When this occurs the brain reacts to the lack of oxygen by swelling. The swelling then cuts off blood supply to the brain. As the body tries to protect the brain other organs such as the kidneys and liver can be damaged as well.

It is important to quickly cool the body in order to prevent damage because the swelling in the brain occurs over several hours before the damage becomes permanent. Lowering the body’s temperature lowers the body’s metabolism, hearth rate, and blood pressure. As a result, the swelling in the brain is reduced.

Continue reading "New whole-body cooling blanket saves newborn from birth-related brain injuries. " »

A recent study conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health found that individuals with low Apgar scores at birth were more likely to be later diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The study suggests that the link between low Apgar scores and cerebral palsy is related to the damage caused to the motor control centers of the brain. This damage can occur during pregnancy, during childbirth, or even after birth.

To determine a baby’s Apgar score, the baby's muscle tone, heart rate, muscle reflex, skin coloration, and respiration are evaluated. Each factor is scored on a scale of 0 to 2, with 2 being the best score. The scores are added together and the resulting Apgar score ranges from zero to 10. This test is generally done at one and five minutes after birth, and may be repeated later if the score is and remains low. Scores 3 and below are generally regarded as critically low, 4 to 6 fairly low, and 7 to 10 generally normal.

Cerebral palsy is caused by an injury to the infant’s brain that can occur before, during or shortly after birth. Exposures to radiation and infection during pregnancy have lead to cerebral palsy. Examples of these infections include rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes, and toxoplasmosis. Asphyxia (lack of oxygen) before birth, hypoxia of the brain, and birth trauma during labor and delivery also cause injury to the infant’s brain, which can lead to cerebral palsy.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 2 to 3 children in 1,000 are affected by brain injuries leading to cerebral palsy. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has estimated that about 800,000 individuals in the United States have cerebral palsy. Babies with cerebral palsy often have an irregular posture and may be born with other birth defects, such as spinal curvature, a small jawbone, or a small head. However, some babies born with cerebral palsy do not show obvious signs and symptoms right after birth.

Continue reading "Low Apgar Scores At Birth Linked To Cerebral Palsy" »

According to McMaster University researchers who collected information from over one million women in 84 studies, overweight moms-to-be have considerably higher risks of delivering prematurely. This risk increases with the weight of the women.

In the first 28 days of a baby’s life, those born prematurely have the highest risk of illness and death. The complications from premature birth include breathing problems, infections and feeding problems with the ultimate risk being death. The rise of obesity in women has contributed to the rise in cesarean sections, along with an increased rate of birth trauma and delivery room emergencies, including birth injuries.

Pre-eclampsia, which is a condition of pregnancy marked by high blood pressure, is more likely to be found in obese women as are blood clots in the legs and diabetes. According to Canadian statistics, 23%of women are obese, while 29% are overweight. Women aged 25-34, deliver over 60% of Canadian babies every year and their obesity rates have nearly doubled in the past 25 years.

In comparison, in the United States according to The Weight-control Information Network, 49.6% of non-Hispanic black women, 43 % of Hispanic women and 33% of non-Hispanic white women are obese. With these high levels of obesity among American women, one can assume that women in the U.S. share the same risks as those in Canada.

The studies found an increased risk of about 24% of spontaneous preterm birth in the overweight or obese women. Additionally, these women had a 30% greater risk of induced preterm births before 37 weeks (a full-term pregnancy is 40 weeks). In the very obese women, the risk rises to 70 %.

Although doctors are not recommending pregnant women lose a large amount of weight during their pregnancy, these studies stress that women should try to optimize their weight before pregnancy to reduce the risks to the child. Weight loss can remove or lessen some of the risks. Childbirth is a routine procedure, but malpractice does occur and the effects can be devastating. That is why it is crucial for expecting mothers to do whatever they can to reduce the risk of premature birth and complications during labor and delivery. Doing so may help to prevent serious and lifelong birth injuries such as Erb's Palsy or Cerebral Palsy. Birth injury prevention should be an important consideration for all pregnant women.

Continue reading "Canadian Research Warns Obesity Adds Health Risks for Expectant Mothers and Newborn Babies" »

Researchers at Harvard Medical School recently released a paper in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology that found the average birth weight in American newborns has dropped by two ounces. The study looked at babies born between 1990 and 2005 and noted that this was the first decline in average birth weight since the 1950s. Additionally, the study found a decrease in the number of large babies born. This is seen as a positive because it leads to fewer instances of birth trauma. A decrease in the number of babies born over the 90th percentile also reduces the occurrence of serious birth injuries that can lead to lifelong health conditions, such as cerebral palsy. Follow the link to read more about this birth weight study.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has just announced that it will be launching a new research program called the Medication Exposure in Pregnancy Risk Evaluation Program to study the effects of prescription drugs taken during pregnancy. The program is a collaborative effort between the FDA and researchers at the HMO Research Network Center for Education and Research in Therapeutics (CERT), Kaiser Permanente, and Vanderbilt University.

According to a new study, most mothers have taken at least one prescription drug during pregnancy, yet little is known about the actual risks of taking such drugs, such as the development of birth defects, because clinical research regarding drug safety during pregnancy is scant. This new program should provide the answers that doctors need for prescribing medications and allow expectant mothers to make informed decisions regarding the health of themselves and their babies.

Read more about the details of this new study at injuryboard.com.

A new study in the January issue of Radiology found that an ultrasound can now be used to detect a posterior shoulder dislocation in infants 3 to 6 months old with a permanent brachial plexus birth injury (BPBI). A doctor from Finland performed ultrasonography to screen for posterior shoulder subluxation in 132 infants with brachial plexus at various times. Their research showed that posterior shoulder subluxation of the humeral head developed in one-third of the 27 patients with permanent BPBI that failed to heal in the first year. It was detected by ultrasound in 55 percent of patients at 3 months of age and in 89 percent of patients at 6 months of age. The ultrasound has proved to be a useful tool for diagnosis of a birth injury. It should be performed on the glenohumeral joint at age 3 and 6 months of age if the symptoms persist. To learn more about the ultrasound therapy, please click the link.

A research team at Wayne State University is convinced that the big solution to preventing and treating cerebral palsy may come in a small package. The husband-and-wife team consisting of chemical engineering professor, Rangaramanujam Kannan and assistant pediatrics professor Dr. Sujatha Kannan, has received a patent for using tiny polymers to attack what it considers to be the root of the disorder: inflammation in the brain.

Cerebral palsy is a condition made up of a group of motor disorders caused by brain damage that often occurs after suffering from a birth injury or an infection that develops while in the womb. Prevention of the condition has thus far proven to be very difficult because it is generally diagnosed only after the damage has already occurred.

The research team has developed tiny tree-shaped polymers called dendrimers, which range from 5-10 nanometers long (over 700 times smaller than a human red blood cell), that are used to carry medicine directly to inflamed areas in the brain. The team believes that this method, in conjunction with the identification and diagnosis of the neuroinflammation in newborns, could prevent, or at least reduce, the development of cerebral palsy. Dr. Kannan is currently able to detect such inflammation in the brains of newborn rabbits and she believes that doctors might eventually be able to do the same in human newborns. Once detected, the dendrimers could then be used to target the inflammation, which in turn could prevent the condition from developing.

For more information on using this nanotechnology to treat cerebral palsy, click here.

In a recent study conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the cases of child birth injuries are decreasing due to some medical breakthroughs and improvements on the healthcare system. The agency recently released data from 1,000 hospitals across the US and found that more than 157,000 child birth injuries could have prevented. The most common of the preventable birth injuries was the tearing between the vagina and rectum. This process is not complicated; however, some doctors had failed to fix it perfectly so that it caused complications. The study also revealed that instruments such as forceps put mothers at higher risk of vaginal tears. Also, mothers from wealthy households were 44 percent more likely to have vaginal injuries compared to those from low-income families. This is due to the increase in premature births in low-income families. The study also showed that certain factors can determine the likelihood of injuries in child birth. White babies are more vulnerable to injuries compared to ethnic groups such as African-American and Hispanic. Also male infants are more vulnerable to birth injuries than female babies. The government data showed that the most common injury among babies is a clavicle fracture. Also babies can dislocate their hips or break their thigh bone when their leg is twisted during deliveries. In some deliveries, brachial plexus, which is a group of nerves located from the neck and arm, may be injured. This happens when the baby’s head and arm is pulled in two opposite directions. To read more about the birth injury study, please click the link.

Birth injuries have become so common that about 10 out of every 1000 births have some injury. Common birth injuries include bruising, head swelling, facial paralysis, brachial palsy fractured bones and brain injuries. Most of these birth injuries are caused by medical malpractice and negligence. Birth injuries may not be apparent immediately after birth. To read more click here “birth injury”

Before birth, a baby’s lungs are filled with fluid and very little oxygen flows through them. Instead, it receives oxygen through the placenta and umbilical cord. When an infant is born, a burst of oxygen-rich blood is delivered to him or her by a pulsation of the placenta and umbilical cord until its lungs are working and supplying oxygen on their own. This surge of blood is necessary in order for the newborn’s lungs to adequately expand and supply the brain with the oxygen it needs. Without it, the baby’s lungs fail to function adequately, causing his or her blood pressure to drop. This in turn can lead to oxygen deprivation and result in lung and brain damage.

In as little as 5 minutes after birth, the umbilical cord naturally begins to clamp, halting this blood flow. The common practice of hospitals, however, is to immediately place a clamp on the cord, usually within 1 minute, and often within 30 seconds, following the baby’s birth. This deprives the baby of a continuous source of oxygen until the lungs begin functioning properly. In addition to injuring the baby’s lungs, this lack of oxygen can cause serious brain damage, leading to birth injuries such as cerebral palsy, autism, learning disorders and mental deficiency.

Click here for information about a study into the dangers of premature cord clamping and for more information about umbilical cord clamping birth injuries.

A doctor recently unveiled medical software that may predict the probability of shoulder dystocia during birth. Shoulder dystocia is one of the most common complications during delivery and 20% of cases result in birth injury. Although some doctors believe that shoulder dystocia is both “unpredictable and unpreventable,” users of the new software hope to calculate the risk of this birth injury through algorithms based on data from the mother and baby. Read more about this new software that may predict shoulder dystocia in newborns.

The FDA announced yesterday that it will require new warnings for Botox and all other Botulinum Toxin products. Botulinum toxin is a neurotoxic protein produced by the bacterium Clostriduam botulinum. It is the most toxic protein known to scientists and one of the most lethal substances to occur in nature. Although not approved for such use, it is often prescribed to children with cerebral palsy, who are injected with the drug in an effort to control limb spasticity that is associated with the disorder. The drug works by paralyzing the muscles, which restricts unwanted movement. After injection, however, the toxin can migrate to other areas of the body, including those muscles used to breathe, causing potentially deadly paralysis. The FDA stated that this adverse affect has occurred most frequently in children with cerebral palsy and that several children with the birth injury have died as a result of the treatment.

The new label requirement includes a black box warning, a type of warning that is reserved for drugs with significant risks of serious or life-threatening adverse affects.

For more information on the FDA’s Botox warning, click here.

A new study published in this month’s issue of the medical journal Acta Pædiatrica suggests that babies conceived during the Spring and Summer may have a greater risk of developing birth defects, including spina bifida, cleft lip, clubfoot and Down's syndrome. The study looked at over 30 million births and found that the children of women whose last menstrual period occurred in April, May, June or July had an increased number of birth defects.

According to the first author of the study, Paul Winchester, M.D., “elevated concentrations of pesticides and other agrochemicals in surface water during April through July coincided with significantly higher risk of birth defects in live births conceived by women whose last menstrual period began in the same months. While our study didn't prove a cause and effect link, the fact that birth defects and pesticides in surface water peak during the same four months makes us suspect that the two are related."

Click here for more about this birth defect study.

A new study published in this month’s issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology finds that women who experience shoulder dystocia incur an increased risk of the complication recurring in subsequent deliveries. The study, which looked at the deliveries of womens’ second children, found that shoulder dystocia occurred in 0.8% of all women, but that women with shoulder dystocia in their first delivery had a 7.3% risk of recurrence. While the prior experience of shoulder dystocia does increase the likelihood of future delivery complications, the study’s authors emphasized that the baby’s birthweight is the most important factor in predicting the probability of the birth injury's occurrence.

Click the following link for more information on the shoulder dystocia study.

When it comes to babies who are deprived of oxygen during birth, every second counts. Delays in the performance of c-sections can cause serious injuries to oxygen-deprived babies, such as brain damage and cerebral palsy. Hospitals and doctors can significantly reduce the length of c-section delays, however, by implementing quality improvement programs by doctors and hospitals, according to a new study published in this month’s issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In particular, the study found that, after 2 years of following such a program, the number of emergency c-sections that were delayed for over 30 minutes was reduced by up to 30% in some situations. These findings suggest that many devastating birth injuries could be prevented if hospitals and doctors simply implemented programs to address the delays.

Click the following link for more information about the quality improvement program study and its findings.

Babies who are deprived of oxygen for any significant period of time during birth have a very high risk of suffering permanent brain damage. This risk of birth injury has shown to be reduced, however, by a new therapy that is pretty cool, literally. The therapy, called induced hypothermia, involves placing an infant on a cooling blanket within 6 hours of its birth for a period of 3 days, bringing its temperature down from the normal 98.6 degrees to about 92 degrees. Research shows that, while the therapy may not completely prevent brain damage, babies suffering from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), or birth hypoxia and asphyxia, that receive the treatment have a greater chance of survival and the extent of their brain damage from oxygen deprivation is reduced.

Read more about this new cooling therapy here.

A new study from the University of Munster, in Germany, suggests that women who breastfeed significantly reduce the risk of their babies dying from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), also known as crib death. The study was based on the observation of over 1,000 infants and found that, after one month, babies who were fed exclusively with breast milk were 50% less likely to die of SIDS.

Read more about the study and its statistical findings here.

To learn more about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, visit the American SIDS Institute’s website.

Scientists at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., have developed two compounds that may be effective in protecting against cerebral palsy. The findings from their experiments with rabbits suggest that the compounds may have prevented the development of the disorder, which would have otherwise developed, following a lack of oxygen to the fetus. Notably, all of the fetuses born to mother rabbits that were treated with the compounds survived, whereas, over half of those without treatment died. Perhaps most impressive is that 83% of the animals treated with one of the compounds were born without any characteristics of cerebral palsy at all. More testing is necessary before they can conclude that the compounds will work to prevent birth injuries in humans, but these findings bring hope that infants subjected to birth hypoxia, such as those who suffer umbilical cord compression during labor, need not suffer permanent brain damage.

Read more about this exciting cerebral palsy prevention breakthrough in an article published by US News & World Report.

New research, presented at the Third International Cerebral Palsy Conference in Sydney, Australia, indicates that babies born in the breech position (feet-first) are 4 times more likely to develop cerebral palsy later in life than babies born in the normal (head-first) position. According to Diana Heggie, President of Cerebral Palsy Australia, knowing the risk factors of the developmental disorder is just as important as being aware of its current treatment.

A new study by scientists from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Danish researchers has found that babies born to mothers who develop infections while pregnant have a greater risk of having cerebral palsy. Specifically, the study found that the risk of cerebral palsy was increased by 3 to 6 times when the mother had developed infections such as urinary tract infections. This research suggests that missed or delayed diagnoses of the infections, resulting in a lack of early treatment, may cause this birth injury in some babies.

Read more about the pregnancy infection study here.

While babies can develop cerebral palsy a number of different ways, including as a result of medical negligence during birth, premature babies have a significantly higher risk of developing the developmental disorder than babies carried full-term. In fact, about a third of all cases of cerebral palsy occur in pre-term births. Evidence from a new Cochrane Review study, however, indicates that treating women at risk of very preterm birth with magnesium sulfate may increase the baby’s chance of being born free of cerebral palsy by as much as 32 percent. The treatment was also found to decrease the chance of developing other major movement disabilities by 39 percent.

Read more about the magnesium sulfate study here.

A new study has found that treating even mild gestational diabetes significantly reduces the risk of certain birth injuries and lessens the need for emergency C-sections. Gestational diabetes occurs during late pregnancy, when a mother’s body is unable to produce and use all the insulin that it needs. Without enough insulin, the body is unable to convert the glucose into energy and, as a result, it builds up in the mother’s blood. This blood then reaches the baby through the placenta, giving it more sugar than it needs. The baby stores this excess energy as fat. Because the baby is larger than normal, there is an increased risk of its shoulders becoming lodged behind the mother’s pelvis during delivery, a situation known as shoulder dystocia. If the doctors and healthcare providers are negligent in their delivery, the baby can suffer from Brachial Plexus injuries. These injuries can be severe and permanent and may include paralysis and deformation of the baby’s arms. If you have been diagnosed with even a mild case of gestational diabetes, it is therefore important that you receive proper treatment in order to reduce these risks.

Read more about gestational diabetes and its risks here.

New research indicates that infants born just a few weeks prematurely are over three times more likely to develop cerebral palsy than full-term infants. The new study, sponsored in part by the March of Dimes, found that the earlier an infant is born, the higher the risk of some neuro-developmental problems. According to the research, babies born between the 30th to 33rd gestation weeks were almost 8 times more likely to have cerebral palsy than babies that were carried full-term (37 weeks).

Read more about the study here.

Some hospitals have decided to reduce labor inducement in order to prevent birth injuries. These hospitals are participating in a Zero Birth Injury safety campaign. The campaign puts restrictions on who could seek early labor inducement to prevent birth injuries such as respiratory distress, severe infections, and broken collarbones. These newborns spend large amounts of time in intensive care which rapidly increases medical costs. Both the New England Journal of Medicine and the March of Dimes support this campaign’s finding that babies born prior to 39 weeks are more at risk for these birth complications.

For the full story, click here.

Birth injuries are commonly known side-effects of smoking while pregnant. Examples include underweight babies, sudden infant death syndrome, heart defects and other problems. A new smoking-related birth injury is now being researched. Researchers have found that smoking can have an effect on the thyroids of babies, as well as the mothers who smoke during pregnancy. Thyroid problems during pregnancy can lead to low birth weight, brain injury, premature birth, and even miscarriage. For the full story, click here.

Serious birth defects may be linked to injections of the drug Dysport, similar to popular anti-wrinkle treatment Botox. A birth injury was reported in Australia when a baby was born deaf and blind after the mother was given facial injections of Dysport during the first week of gestation. The drug, a botulinum type A toxin like Botox, has known side effects in patients such as facial paralysis, dizziness, visual disturbances, fatigue, difficulty swallowing, anxiety and hallucinations. Botox has also been linked to deaths of children with cerebral palsy in the past. For the full article, click here.

Greater than one third of mothers who chose to undergo a repeat Caesarean section had their babies earlier than the medical guidelines recommend. The earlier a baby is born the more likely they are to experience a medical complication like respiratory distress. Although babies born by Caesarean section after just 37 weeks of pregnancy are considered full term, the study shows that they were twice as likely to suffer from complications as those who were born by Caesarean after 39 weeks. The complications included respiratory distress, infections, hypoglycemia, being admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit, or being hospitalized for five or more days. The findings of the study reinforce the message that “every week counts” in a pregnancy. The study was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. To read the full story, click here.

A study has found that vitamin D deficiency may increase the likelihood of having a Caesarean section. In the early 20th Century deformed bones in the pelvis often led to a C-section, but the problem virtually disappeared with the vitamin D fortification of milk and other foods. This background information gave way to a new study which found that women with low blood levels of vitamin D were almost four times as likely to have an emergency C-section as those with normal levels. Vitamin D has been associated with muscle weakness and high blood pressure, which helps explain the finding. Pregnant women are advised to take a thousand-unit supplement of vitamin D on top of any prenatal vitamins to avoid the risk of a C-Section. Sometimes, C-Sections can be delayed, causing birth injuries. To read the full story, click here.

The incidence rates of stillbirths and infant deaths have been examined in a recent study created by a Physician at Rochester General Hospital. The Physician determined that 2% of infant deaths occur due to significant birth injuries. Birth injuries may have long term affects however some birth injuries, usually due to physician’s errors during birth, have little if any long term affects. The physician’s report discusses some birth trauma and birth injuries such as: Cephalhematoma, Brachial plexus injury, cranial nerve and spinal cord injuries. To read the full study click here.

The March of Dimes recently graded states by comparing each state’s rate of premature birth to the nation’s objective of 7.6 percent or less. Premature babies often suffer birth injuries. The nation, as a whole, and Illinois specifically, received a “D.” You can sign the Petition for Preemies online, urging for change to prevent premature births and birth injuries.

For the full article.

Pregnant woman who either took two types of antidepressants during their first trimester were three to four times more likely to give birth to a child with heart problems. A study shows that there is a link between the use of antidepressants such as Prozac and Paxil taking during pregnancy to birth defects in newborns. The study focused on babies born to 800 women who said they took either Prozac or Paxil during their first trimester of pregnancy compared ot more than 1,400 expectant mothers who did not. Women on Prozac gave birth to babies four times more likely to have heart anomalies, while those who took Paxil were three times more likely. Additionally smoking during pregnancy increased the risk of heart defects. Doctors warn that many heart anomalies can be treated, so expectant mothers need to consider their health as well when deciding whether or not they should continue with the drugs. It is estimated that more than 10 percent of pregnant women experience depression each year. To read the full story, click here.

According to the March of Dimes, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health of babies, the United States is failing to prevent premature births, subjecting thousands of babies to increased risk of developing disability and birth injuries. In its first annual Premature Birth Report Card, which compared each state’s actual preterm birth rate to the national Healthy People 2010 objective, Illinois received a “D.” According to the report, Illinois ranked 31st in the U.S. with a preterm birth rate of 13.1%, which is more than 70% higher than the objective of 7.6%. In addition, the number of preterm births in Illinois increased by 11% between 1995 and 2005. The United States as a whole also received a “D” grade, with no state obtaining an “A” and only one – Vermont – achieving a “B.”

The March of Dimes has identified premature birth as a leading cause of newborn death and a major cause of life-long disabilities such as learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing loss and other chronic conditions. The report states that some of the factors that contribute to premature birth can be addressed and it identifies several prevention opportunities.

Click here for the Illinois report and to view the entire report, click here.