Information about hypoxic injury, birth injury, birth trauma, and legal recourse in Colorado.
A hypoxic injury is a brain injury which is caused due to lack of oxygen to the brain. Hypoxic injuries often occur as a direct result of childbirth, leaving the newborn infant with permanent disorders. Hypoxic brain injuries are often not discovered until parents notice developmental delays when the child is a toddler.
Childbirth Complications Causing Hypoxic Injuries
A number of labor and delivery complications can cause hypoxic injuries:
Shoulder Dystocia: Shoulder dystocia is a labor and delivery complication during which the infant’s shoulders are too large to pass through the birth canal. When the infant becomes lodged in the birth canal they can become oxygen-deprived and a hypoxic brain injury can result.
Prolapsed Umbilical Cord: A prolapsed umbilical cord is a labor and delivery complication during which the umbilical cord, which supplies the infant’s oxygen, drops into the vagina after the mother’s water has broken. When the baby comes through the birth canal, it places pressure on the umbilical cord, thereby cutting off the oxygen supply and increasing the chances of hypoxic brain injury.
Umbilical Cord around the Neck: When the umbilical cord becomes wrapped around the neck of an unborn infant it can be wrapped so tightly that adequate oxygen cannot pass through it. This deprives the baby of oxygen and can result in hypoxic injuries.
Disorders Caused by Hypoxic Injury to the Brain
Cerebral Palsy: When cerebral palsy is the direct result of lack of oxygen to the brain during childbirth, it is considered a hypoxic brain injury. There are four types of cerebral palsy, all of which can be caused by hypoxic injury during delivery.
Fetal Acidosis: Fetal acidosis, another hypoxic injury associated with labor and delivery, is a disorder in which the Ph balance of the body becomes too acidic. Fetal acidosis is often preceded by hypoxia or a lack of oxygen to the fetus during labor and delivery. Fetal acidosis can cause irreversible brain, heart, and kidney complications.
ADD/ADHD: Some in the medical community believe that ADD and ADHD can be the direct result of a hypoxic brain injury at birth. ADD and ADHD are two closely related disorders which cause children to have difficulty concentrating and/or exhibit unusually hyperactive behavior.
Developmental Delays: Hypoxic injuries at birth can cause both temporary and permanent developmental delays, both cognitive and physical. Often these delays are discovered by parents who suddenly realize that their child has not reached a major milestone, such as learning to walk, by a specific age.
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Hypoxic Birth Injury and Birth Trauma