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Shoulder dystocia overview
Parents of a newborn might be wondering, “What is shoulder dystocia?” if this is listed in the child’s medical records or given as a diagnosis.
Shoulder dystocia is one type of common birth injury like Erb’s palsy and brachial plexus injuries.
Shoulder dystocia occurs when a child’s head is delivered through the mother’s vagina but the shoulders get stuck inside the body. This creates risks for the baby as well as the mother.
What is shoulder dystocia in terms of birth injuries?
Dystocia is a word used to reference difficult birth or labor. Most health care providers cannot prevent or predict shoulder dystocia, although there are a few risk factors for this condition. If the baby is identified as high risk due to large size, the provider might recommend a C-section over natural childbirth.
Are certain women more likely to give birth to a baby with shoulder dystocia?
A pregnant woman could be at higher risk of delivering a baby with shoulder dystocia if she is obese, has diabetes, is pregnant with more than one baby, has induced labor, gives birth after the baby’s due date or has given birth with shoulder dystocia in the past.
Many cases of shoulder dystocia occur with no warning, however. This situation is typically referred to by medical professionals as a delivery in which further movements are required to deliver the fetus after normal options have failed.
What are the complications associated with shoulder dystocia?
Typically, when medical professionals recognize shoulder dystocia quickly, the baby and mother have no permanent damage. However, there can be some complications with this condition.
Risks for the baby include lack of oxygen to the brain, which can cause brain damage or death, or injury to the nerves of the shoulder, hand and arms. This brachial plexus injury could develop into paralysis.
Complications for the mother include tearing of the cervix, vagina, uterus or rectum or heavy bleeding after birth.
Fewer than 10% of babies with injuries following shoulder dystocia have permanent complications, according to Healthline. However, a mother whose baby suffers shoulder dystocia could be at risk for it recurring with another child if she were to get pregnant again.
How can shoulder dystocia affect a baby later?
Sometimes the affected shoulder, arm or hand may become paralyzed or have noticeable tremors, (diagnosed as Erb’s palsy), but many times, these issues resolve between six months and one year after birth. The estimated number of babies who experience a complete recovery ranges between 80% and 96% when improvement is seen within the first two weeks after birth.
Erb’s palsy may result when the baby suffers damage to the brachial plexus, which is a collection of nerves that sends signals near the neck to nerves in the arm.
When no functioning of the bicep is detected at five months, the doctor may suggest exploratory surgery to see if such intervention can hasten recovery. If such a tremendous force is used to remove the baby that the nerves completely pull away from the spinal cord, more than one surgery may be necessary to ensure the baby is able to have even minimal functionality of the shoulder, arm, wrist and hand, according to the United Brachial Plexus Network (UBPN).
The UBPN also advises that women not give birth while completely lying down or while being in a semi-reclined position because both of these positions may cause the birth canal to close by 30%.
One of the long term issues of people with permanent movement issues due to shoulder dystocia injuries of the brachial plexus is overuse of the unaffected arm. Increased risk of muscle injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, bursitis and tendonitis exist for the unaffected arm because it must perform twice the duties it would usually have to perform if both arms worked optimally.
How should doctors respond?
Doctors use the mnemonic HELPERR as a management guide for treating shoulder dystocia, which stands for Help, Episiotomy, pulling the Legs towards the stomach, suprapubic Pressure, Enter maneuvers, Removing the posterior arm from the birth canal, and Rolling the patient.
Are birth injuries preventable?
While some parents and babies face an increased risk of a dangerous pregnancy or delivery, doctors are trained to identify problems and respond to them quickly.
Not all birth injuries are directly related to a doctor’s malpractice, but some are. If a birth injury happens in the labor and delivery room because the doctor ignored or didn’t follow the proper standard of care, the resulting injury could give rise to a legal claim. The parents and the child might have long-term impacts because of the birth injury, possibly entitling them to damages.
More and more people are coming forward with litigation over birth injuries. If you believe that you presented risk factors for shoulder dystocia in the labor and delivery room and the doctors did not catch it, you may have a legal claim. Filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by a birth injury, but it can at least help to alleviate the financial burden incurred by medical expenses, as well as hold those responsible accountable for their actions and inactions.
Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting prospect, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.
