Delivery day should be one of the happiest days of your life as a parent.
But it can quickly become a nightmare if you aren’t prepared.
Many moms going into delivery have no idea that there are serious risks before delivery. Not the routine complications your doctor warns you about at your 20-week anatomy scan.
These are life altering injuries that happen before delivery.
What You’ll Learn…
- Eye Opening Facts About Birth Injuries BEFORE Delivery
- Types of Birth Injuries BEFORE Delivery No One Tells You About
- How Medical Negligence Can Cause Neonatal Injury BEFORE Birth
- Common Signs You Should Know BEFORE Going Into Delivery
- 5 Things To Do To Protect Yourself Before Delivery Happens
Eye Opening Facts About Birth Injuries BEFORE Delivery
Every year in the United States there are about 30,000 babies born with birth injuries. That’s 3 babies born every hour with some type of birth injury.
But it doesn’t stop there…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released their recent statistics on maternal deaths in the United States. In 2024, there were 649 maternal deaths caused by complications during pregnancy and delivery.
The maternal mortality rate is 17.9 deaths per 100,000 live births.
But here’s what most parents don’t know…
Many birth injuries and maternal deaths before delivery are preventable. Medical staff has a responsibility to properly monitor both the mother and baby during labour and delivery. An avoidable medical injury during birth caused by neonatal injury malpractice can change your baby’s life forever.
Maternal deaths and birth injuries during delivery can occur more often than you think. But the number one thing that contributes to mistakes before delivery is…
Negligence.
Miscommunication and medical mistakes made in the delivery room are completely preventable with proper training and care.
Types of Birth Injuries BEFORE Delivery No One Tells You About
Birth injuries come in all shapes and sizes.
Some injuries are minor and babies recover within a few days. Others are severe and cause lifelong injuries that will require special care from parents.
Below are some of the most common birth injuries that occur before delivery:
Brain Damage From Oxygen Deprivation
Brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation to a baby is the most common severe birth injury. Lack of oxygen can occur before, during and after delivery.
If a baby isn’t receiving enough oxygen during delivery they can suffer from cerebral palsy.
Brachial Plexus Injuries
The brachial plexus is a group of nerves that run through the baby’s shoulder. These injuries occur when a baby’s neck is stretched to the side during delivery.
Seventy to 80% of children who suffer brachial plexus injuries recover completely, but some children are left with permanent weakness in their arms.
Fractures
The most common fractures during delivery are clavicle (collarbone) fractures.
These injuries usually occur when there is a difficult delivery or if the baby is mishandled.
Intracranial Hemorrhage
Intracranial hemorrhage is internal bleeding that occurs in the baby’s skull. This can be life-threatening and may lead to long-term brain damage if not identified and treated quickly.
Medical Negligence That Leads to Neonatal Injury BEFORE Birth
So how do babies suffer from easily preventable injuries BEFORE birth?
The answer is quite simple.
Medical staff fail to perform one or more of the following tasks during delivery and neglect to go off established childbirth protocols.
Here are the most common causes of neonatal injury before delivery:
Failure to Monitor
Failing to monitor the baby’s heartbeat/vitals during labour and delivery.
Delayed Reaction
Failure to react fast enough to fetal distress.
Wrong Technique
Use of improper techniques with delivery tools such as forceps and vacuum extractors. Research shows that vacuum-assisted deliveries carry a significantly higher injury rate than unassisted births.
Failure to Perform C-Section
If there are clear signs that a baby needs to be delivered via c-section and the medical staff refuses or does not perform the procedure in a timely manner.
A study by Coverys found that 40% of birth injury claims involved improper management of labour and delivery.
That’s almost HALF of all birth injuries are preventable with the proper care and management of labour.
Babies aren’t the only ones at risk during labour and delivery.
Severe Maternal Complications
Approximately 1% to 2% of deliveries result in severe complications for the mother.
Complications during pregnancy can include:
- Postpartum hemorrhage (Severe Bleeding)
- Infection
- Organ Damage
- Failed epidural
- Heart Attacks
When left unchecked or improperly managed by medical staff these can lead to permanent injury or death.
Common Signs To Look Out For BEFORE Going Into Delivery
How can you tell if something will go wrong BEFORE delivery?
Well, there’s no surefire way. But there are certain signs parents can look out for during pregnancy that hint at larger problems during delivery.
Here are some of the most common signs:
- Fetal heart monitor showing abnormal patterns
- Failure to progress (labor is not progressing as it should)
- Maternal bleeding (too much bleeding after delivery)
- Baby is not moving like they normally do
Knowledge is power when it comes to preventing neonatal injuries before delivery.
If you know what to look for, you can ask the right questions and take the necessary steps to prevent injuries before they happen.
As parents, you have every right to speak up if you think something is wrong. Doctors should always take the time to explain things to you and put your mind at ease.
5 Things To Do To Protect Yourself Before Delivery Happens
There are steps you can take to protect yourself before going into delivery.
Before your due date arrives, take the time to…
Research Your Healthcare Provider
Do your homework. Look into the doctor and hospital you plan on delivering at. Ask questions about their credentials and experience.
Create a Birth Plan
Birth plans allow you to outline how you would like things to go when delivery day arrives. You can include anything from who you would like in the room to positions you wish to deliver in. Make sure to provide a copy of your birth plan to your doctor ahead of time.
Ask About Hospital Protocols
Every hospital should have standard procedures for handling emergencies during labour and delivery.
Request a copy of their procedures and go over them with your healthcare provider. If they don’t have protocols in-place or are hesitant to give you one, that should raise a red flag.
Document Everything
Write down every appointment, test, and conversation you have with medical professionals.
If something does go wrong, your records could be used as evidence to build your case.
Educate Yourself On Your Rights
In the unfortunate event that your baby does suffer a preventable injury, you have legal rights.
You may be able to file a lawsuit against the hospital to help with medical bills and lifelong care.
Birth injuries can happen to anyone.
The best thing you can do as a parent is prepare for the unknown.
The Bottom Line
Maternal wellness should start long before your due date arrives.
By eating healthy and monitoring yourself during pregnancy, you can help prevent many injuries that occur before delivery.
But there’s only so much you can do once a baby decides to make their grand entrance into the world.
Knowing the risks BEFORE delivery and how to protect yourself can make all the difference should something go wrong.
Remember:
The number one cause of birth injuries and maternal deaths before delivery is negligence.
Educate yourself on the risks, know your rights, and always trust your gut feeling.
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