An easy pregnancy does not mean you are out of the woods quite yet. You still have to face labor and delivery, and unfortunately, things can go very wrong during the process.
If you have an unusually difficult time delivering your baby, you may want to watch out for traumatic birth injuries. Some of the most common can resolve very soon after delivery, or they may have long-lasting and permanent consequences.
Eye hemorrhages
A typical birth trauma injury is the appearance of a red band in the whites of the eyes. It can appear in one or both eyes. The medical term is subconjunctival hemorrhage, and while common, it may also signal a more serious injury. It can occur when there is too much pressure placed on the baby during lengthy labor. It typically resolves in a short amount of time.
Paralysis of the face
You may notice that one or both sides of the baby’s face do not move. Facial paralysis can also come from too much pressure on the face during labor. Contractions exert considerable force to help expel the baby during delivery. However, if the process goes on too long, or if the baby becomes stuck in the birth canal, it can damage the nerves in the face. The condition may go away after a few weeks, but if not, it may signal a tear.
Cerebral palsy
When a baby is without oxygen for a long time during labor and delivery, permanent brain damage may occur. Cerebral palsy is one condition that may result. While doctors do not know for sure if the damage happens exclusively during the delivery process, you may want to look into it if your baby gets this diagnosis, especially if your labor and delivery took a long time.
Recognizing that your delivery was tough and may have impacted your baby may make you feel bad. Know that many common birth injuries heal on their own, and for the ones with permanent effects, you may want to seek help in determining if they were preventable.
