Between six and eight of every 1,000 infants born have a birth injury and, in many cases, this trauma or injury is preventable. The most common type of injury is cerebral palsy but injuries such as fractures, brachial palsy (which can occur when there is trouble delivering the baby’s shoulder), and facial paralysis (which can occur when forceps are used) are also prevalent. Parents may not be aware that a birth injury has taken place since around 14% of injuries are not diagnosed until your child is school-aged. If you have just received a diagnosis, the following steps can help you overcome some of the biggest hurdles you may have to face.
Obtaining Legal Advice
Medical malpractice is estimated to occur in one to three of every 1,000 births. Physical trauma to the brain, for instance, can cause cerebral palsy and head traumas incurred can cause hearing loss. If you think medical malpractice was involved in your child’s trauma, then seeking legal advice is important. Many treatments and therapies can be costly, and any compensation you and your child are entitled to will help ensure you are able to access the best care possible. Just a few actions or omissions that can cause birth injuries include failing to monitor the fetal heart rate, failing to detect maternal infection, and using birthing tools incorrectly.
Seeking Help from a Mental Health Professional
If you find that a traumatic birth has caused you to have depression, anxiety, or if you have PTSD-like symptoms (including vivid flashbacks, intrusive thoughts and images, intense distress and physical symptoms like sweating or nausea), it is vital to seek the help of a therapist. Just a few approaches that can help include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and/or medication. CBT aims to help you realise the link between your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. EMDR involves making rhythmic eye movements while recalling a traumatic event, in order to stimulate information processing in the brain and help you process trauma. Your partner may also have PTSD and other mental consequences and if so, they should also receive professional help.
Being Gentle on Yourself
Experiencing a traumatic birth can lead to feelings of guilt, grief, or difficulties bonding with your infant or child. It is important to take this time to learn, lean on others, and seek help and advice for various aspects of child rearing - since a traumatic birth need not mark your long-term relationship either with your child or your partner. Understand that it is normal to grieve, feel insecure, and feel upset about what has happened. Give yourself time to heal and try to avoid making ‘now or never’ decisions such as having a baby too soon to “make the experience right” or opting for permanent birth control so you do not go through trauma again.
Birth injuries occur in up to eight of every 1,000 babies born. If you have been through a traumatic birth, accepting that coping will take time is important. So, too, is relying on mental professionals and on legal professionals if you believe that medical malpractice was the cause of the injury.
