Care Tips After a Birth Injury

Taking care of a child who has a birth injury can be fairly stressful. It can be scary since you don’t want to make the birth trauma worse for your child. While some birth injuries can be treated over time with a medical plan, other birth injuries may be more severe or even permanent. The good news is that there are strategies that you can rely on as a parent to care for your child who has suffered a birth injury. This article will walk you through those strategies to make parenting easier for you. Here you will find care tips for babies dealing with different types of birth injuries so you can give them the right kind of care.

Caring For A Child With A Neonatal Brain Bleed

A brain-bleed during childbirth might result in a neonatal intracranial hemorrhage. If a newborn experiences neonatal intracranial hemorrhage, there is a chance that it happened due to medical negligence. As a new parent, you must comprehend and fully understand what happened during the delivery that led to a brain bleed in your newborn. Knowing this will allow you to determine whether you have a medical malpractice case or not. If yes, you can file a negligence case to receive justice. Reach out to helpful resources like www.childbirthinjuries.com if your child has suffered a birth injury and you think it might be due to medical negligence.

Babies who have experienced neonatal intracranial hemorrhage require extra care from their parents at home. Some tips for catering to them appropriately are:

• Give your kid any medications prescribed by your doctor exactly as instructed. Contact your doctor if you believe your child’s medication is causing a problem.
• If your baby receives oxygen aid at home, administer it according to the directions.
• To avoid spreading germs to your infant, wash your hands before holding them.
• Avoid exposing your child to smoke. Smoking increases the risk of pneumonia, ear infections, asthma, and colds for your child. 

 

Taking Care Of A Baby With Nerve Damage

 

Babies with nerve damage at birth may suffer from Erb’s palsy. Erb’s palsy is characterized by arm numbness and loss of motion. Typically, the cause of it is the brachial plexus getting hurt physically during childbirth or as force being applied downwardly to the upper arm and shoulder.

Medical professionals, including an orthopedic surgeon, physiotherapist, and occupational therapist, will instruct you on how to carry out any exercises or splints and how to incorporate them into your baby’s everyday routines (e.g., during bath time and dressing). 

It’s crucial to exercise extra caution to prevent harm to the injured limb. Your infant might not sense hot objects (i.e., burning) or discomfort because of a lack of feeling in the affected limb. As a result, they could not exhibit signs of pain, making it challenging to determine whether they are hurt or experiencing physical damage. Here are a few ways to correctly position your baby with Erb’s palsy:

• You can pick up your child by supporting them behind the bottom, behind the shoulder blades, and under the head.
• Put the injured arm into clothing first when dressing your baby to prevent overstretching the arm.
• Hold your infant to both sides of your chest during feeding times and throughout the day to give the baby practice looking at both sides.
• Put your baby in a position where the head will turn to the injured arm. Your baby will turn its head to look at toys and mirrors if you place them on the side that is affected by their condition.
• Place your infant on their stomach for a few minutes each day to help them gain mobility strength. 

Taking Care Of Children With Brain Injury

 

Children with cerebral palsy may have issues with their posture and movement. Some of them may also have some degree of intellectual disability, seizures, and unusual bodily sensations or perceptions. They might also suffer from language and communication difficulties as well as vision or hearing impairments.

Special needs apply to children with cerebral palsy. Although their doctors and therapists handle the majority of your child’s care, there are significant ways you may help to ease your child’s suffering. It might be challenging to properly care for your baby with such a sensitive case, but here are tips to make it more manageable:

• Therapy doesn’t have to finish when your allotted time with the therapist is up. With the help of physicians, therapists, and other medical professionals, you learn the right exercises for your child to do at home. This will help them stretch their muscles, improve their balance, and relieve discomfort.  
• Even if your child may not be able to participate in sports on the same level as their friends, it’s still crucial to get them moving as much as possible. As much as you can, encourage them to play, walk (if they can), and move around.
• They might use their muscles in new ways if you teach them new skills. Being active may help them build stronger muscles and experience fewer muscular spasms.
• Tell your child that whatever they are feeling is fine. This communicates to them that you are open to hearing about any feelings they may have. Think about arranging for your child to speak with a mental health professional so they may discover good coping mechanisms for their injury-related emotions.
• You can support your child during therapy by helping them establish goals with their therapists, praising them for their perseverance, acknowledging their accomplishments, and tolerating “off” days as a necessary part of healing.

Conclusion

Some babies suffer from birth injuries that may lead to lifelong side effects. If you are the parent or caregiver of an infant who has suffered through birth trauma, you should try to keep an eye out for any indications that the child may be unwell or uncomfortable in any way. If there are any warning signals, contact the physician right away so that they can take the necessary steps.