When a mother is birthing a child in the labor room, it is considered to be the happiest moment of her existence. However, if something goes wrong, such as a birth injury, it can become the most dreaded experience. One of the most common birth injuries is known as birth asphyxia.
If we talk about decreased oxygen levels for the newborn during labor or delivery, there are two types of chemical changes that may happen. The first condition that could happen is called hypoxemia, in which, there are low levels of blood oxygen while the second condition is acidosis, in which, there is too much acid in the blood.
The indication of asphyxia can be figured out if the heart rate or blood pressure of the baby is lower than usual during or after delivery. It is essential to treat the condition at the earliest, otherwise, it may lead to severe brain damage. It depends on the situation if the baby is not born but is low on oxygen, it could be provided by the mother throughout the delivery. If the problem persists, the mother may require a cesarean section. In the case of a newborn baby, the physicians might have to ventilate the baby to stable the condition.
Birth asphyxia is one of the primary reasons why there are significant infant injuries and mortality. Let’s take a look at the statistics related to birth asphyxia
- It is the fifth largest cause of infant mortality
- It is accountable for roughly 900,000 deaths each year
- Four of every 1,000 full term births have birth asphyxia
- The ratio is higher for babies born prematurely
If you also have troublesome issues with childbirth injuries, it is never too late to consult a birth injury attorney to help you out!
