Common Birth Injuries in Pennsylvania
Birth injuries are sustained during difficult deliveries. Several types of birth injuries exist: brain injuries, nerve injuries and physical injuries. While in some cases, birth injuries are temporary, in other situations, they are permanent. Birth injury symptoms can be mild in some infants and severe in others.
Birth injury statistics
For every 1,000 infants born in the United States, six to eight of them are born with a birth injury. Annually, 28,000 newborns are born with a birth injury. This translates into 2,333 monthly, 538 weekly and 76 daily. Some of the most common birth injuries include: brachial plexus palsy, or Erb’s Palsy; cerebral palsy; perinatal asphyxia; bone fractures; facial paralysis; spinal cord injuries; and intracranial hemorrhage. Nearly 50 percent of all birth injuries can possibly be avoided by recognizing obstetrical risk factors and planning for them.