Ohio Birth Injuries Spinal Cord Injury Epidemiology
Birth injuries have decreased in recent years, due to the more frequent use of the cesarean delivery method when labor becomes too stressful for the mother or baby. Despite the decrease, at least 7 in every 1000 live births results in some form of injury to the baby.
Get A 100% Free CASE EvaluationMost birth injuries are caused by some sort of trauma during the birth, such as the use of vacuum suction or forceps to deliver the child through the birthing canal. The use of mechanical interventions during childbirth is more frequently associated with spinal cord injuries. Women that delivered their children without the use of mechanical assistance were 23% less likely to have a child with a birth-related injury.
Birth-Related Spinal Cord Injuries – By The Numbers
Of all spinal cord injury patients in the U.S., only about 5% are children or infants. Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) in infants and children occur most frequently in the cervical spine (neck area). These cases make up 60-75 percent of all SCIs in children and infants. In this same population, 20 percent of SCIs occur in the thoracic spine (upper back and chest area) and the remaining injuries, between 5 and 25 percent, occur in the lumbar spine or sacrum (lower back).
Spinal Injuries – Location Matters
The fact that up to 75% of all infant SCIs occur in the cervical spine region is tragic because, the higher up on the spine the injury occurs, the more serious the implications. If the injury is too high, the infant may rapidly lose the ability to breathe on its own and may die shortly after childbirth. Those that do survive may become a quadriplegic. Others may suffer from:
- Bladder and bowel control issues
- Painful and uncontrollable spasms
- Trouble breathing
- Acute nerve pain
- Weakness
- Reduced sensations
Life-Long Implications
Those infants that do survive birth-related SCIs may still have ongoing health issues that last their lifetime. This can impact the child and the family in ways we can’t imagine. The child will likely:
- Need 24-hour care, at least for part of his or her life
- Undergo extensive, often expensive treatments
- Require lifelong medications
- Attend special classes or schools
- Undertake ongoing therapy for physical and emotional issues stemming from the injury
Most SCIs are caused by medical malpractice, which means that the doctor or other medical professional did not do their duty when assisting you with your birth. You, your child and your entire family will likely suffer for years. You have the right to be compensated for the pain that these medical professionals have caused. Compensation for SCIs can run in the multi-millions to cover every aspect of pain caused by this negligence.