Birth Injuries During Prolonged Labor
Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2011/05/28 - Updated: 2022/03/22
Topic: Pregnancy Information - Publications List
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main
Synopsis: Pregnancy and labor complications such as prolonged labor, or when the pregnancy is too short or long, are major risk factors for birth injury. Many birth injuries are temporary, relatively minor concerns that have no long-term impact on the child's life. But other birth injuries can cause significant impairment that leads to lifelong disability, such as cerebral palsy.
Introduction
Birth injuries most often occur when the mother's pregnancy is too short or too long - typically when pregnancy or labor complications occur. One major risk factor for birth injuries is a prolonged labor.
Focus
A birth injury is any type of injury sustained by a newborn during or as a result of the birth process. Many birth injuries are temporary, relatively minor concerns that have no long-term impact on the child's life. But other birth injuries can cause significant impairment that leads to lifelong disability, such as cerebral palsy.
Long Labor Birth Injury
Birth injuries most often occur when the mother's pregnancy is too short or too long - typically when pregnancy or labor complications occur. One major risk factor for birth injuries is a prolonged labor. Two factors greatly increase the risk of birth injuries during a long labor:
- If the baby gets lodged in the birth canal without an oxygen supply.
- If the baby is not delivered within 24 hours of the mother's water breaking.
A shortage of oxygen during delivery, called perinatal asphyxia, often causes brain injuries during birth as it harms the tissue in the cerebral motor cortex of an infant's brain. Rapid delivery of a baby helps to avoid asphyxia and ensure spontaneous breathing by the infant.
During a long labor, there is an increased chance that a baby will suffer asphyxia. Perinatal asphyxia may be caused by:
- Birth trauma
- Umbilical cord compression
- Maternal low blood pressure
- Placental abruption or premature detachment
Birth Injury Medical Malpractice
While some birth injuries are tragic accidents for which no one is responsible, others may be caused by negligent medical care. Medical providers have a duty to provide uniform and safe care. If a doctor or nurse provided substandard medical care and a birth injury resulted, the parents of the injured child may be able to sue the at-fault person for damages in a medical malpractice lawsuit. Possible negligence that may result in birth injury includes:
- Improper use of forceps or vacuums.
- Failure to monitor or perform proper tests.
- Failure to recognize fetal distress or umbilical cord compression.
- Failure to order or delay in ordering a necessary cesarean section.
Author Credentials: Ian is an Australian-born writer, editor, and advocate who currently resides in Montreal, Canada. He is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.