Generally speaking, a c-section is one of the best ways to prevent a birth injury. If your doctor does their job and monitors for signs of fetal distress that could indicate a complicated delivery, they will likely recommend a c-section to reduce the risk of injury to yourself and the baby. In this way, medical professionals can avoid many of the most commonly-occurring birth injuries. But this does not always go according to plan. Here are some birth injuries caused by c-section.
C-sections are meant to prevent birth injuries. But can they cause them?
Premature Birth
Although rare, there have been instances when a c-section inadvertently led to the premature birth of a baby. This most commonly occurs when medical professionals inaccurately determined the baby’s gestational age. If this happened to you, it could qualify as medical malpractice.
Premature birth can occur either naturally or unnaturally, and it is not at all uncommon. Here are some complications that may emerge as a result:
- Infections resulting from weaker immune systems
- Kidney complications
- Jaundice, which at its most severe can cause brain damage
Difficulty Breathing
Often, medical professionals recommend c-sections to reduce the risk of birth asphyxia. But c-sections can lead to breathing problems of their own.
It is not fully understood why c-sections can lead to difficulty breathing. Experts have theorized it has to do with insufficient development of the lungs. But studies have shown that babies delivered by c-section are as much as four times as likely to have these issues than those delivered vaginally.
Difficulty breathing can result in reduced flow of oxygen to your baby’s brain, which results in some of the most well-known birth injuries—most significantly, cerebral palsy.
Cuts and Nicks
C-sections are technically a surgical procedure. As such, doctors must use tools to perform them. Improper use of instruments such as forceps is one of the leading causes of birth injuries such as facial paralysis or damage to the brachial plexus.
Thankfully, injuries caused by tools during c-section tend not to be so severe. Most commonly, they take the form if minor cuts or scratches. These typically fade with time, but there have been severe instances in which cuts from c-section resulted in permanent scarring of a newborn’s face or body.
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