What is a birth injury?

A birth injury may occur during labor and delivery or shortly thereafter. It may be caused by preventable factors, such as a failure of the physician to appropriately diagnose the condition of the mother or the baby, or a breakdown of communication among medical providers and staff. Birth injuries may be mild and treatable, or critical and lead to death. Common types of birth injuries result in a loss of oxygen and/or blood flow to the brain during the labor and delivery process known as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy or HIE. This may lead to a condition called cerebral palsy. Traumatic birth injuries may also result from an instrumented delivery, too much Pitocin, or if the infant’s nerves are stretched or torn during the delivery process, which may result in Erb’s palsy also called a brachial plexus injury.