birth

Facial nerve palsy is a condition in which the patient loses the ability to voluntarily control the muscles in their face. It may be caused by birth trauma if improper pressure is put on the seventh cranial nerve, also known as the facial nerve, before or during delivery, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). A difficult delivery may result in facial nerve palsy, especially if forceps are used. Som [...]

The Piedmont Medical Center has been instructed recently by a York County jury to pay damages due to hospital negligence amounting to over $4 million to a South Carolina couple, The Charlotte Observer reported in an article. The couple, Robin and Brice Wilson, had lost their infant daughter during her birth due to a brain injury. Sierra Wilson had been born in 2003 at the hospital but lack of oxygen caused her to [...]

Here's a welcome break from the usual round of medical jargon about Erb's palsy: injurednewborn.com, a site set up by Francine Litz, the mother of a daughter with a birth injury to her brachial plexus. (In short, obstetric brachial plexus injuries leave children with one arm weakened or useless, often dangling limply with the hand turned backwards. It sometimes clears up on its own, but is often a lifelong disabili [...]

A group of parents has filed a lawsuit against Pfizer, the maker of Zoloft, an antidepressant, which they say caused severe birth defects in babies born to women who took the drug while pregnant. The nine-count complaint that was filed December 2 in St. Clair County Michigan Circuit Court says the babies were born with major medical defects, including heart damage. At the time, studies showed the risks associated w [...]

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been studying the effect of the environment on people and their health.  Recently, researchers in Canada have linked male low birth rates to an increase in lower fertility and an increase in environmental contaminants. According to UPI, researchers studied the male birth weights of five million children born in Canada between 1981-2003 from records kept i [...]

A child’s natural development, genetics and the quality of infant care all play a role in the causes of birth injuries. If your baby experiences an abnormal birth, such as breech delivery, the risk of physical birth trauma is high.Events during delivery can also result in brain or nerve damage that leads to complications that may affect your child’s future quality of life.Any of these scenarios may leav [...]

Women who are trying to conceive and those who are already pregnant can follow some simple tips to promote a healthy pregnancy and to avoid complications at birth.   Select a competent doctor.   Get prenatal care as soon as you think you might be pregnant.  Avoid toxic substances especially in the home and workplace.  Quit smoking – women who smoke during pregnancy are more like [...]

Massachusetts attorney Thomas M. Kiley, concentrates on legal issues regarding cerebral palsy and birth injuries.  New research on these kinds of birth injuries indicates that some injuries can be prevented.  The research is being conducted by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes, (NINDS)    Researchers today are able to use imaging technology such as magnetic reson [...]

Massachusetts attorney Thomas M. Kiley, concentrates on legal issues regarding birth injuries.  Recent research funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes (NINDS), shows that mice with brain injuries similar to that of premature babies can actually make new neurons to help repair brain damage.  This study shows that actual recovery from a brain injury at birth can occur in the [...]

Recent studies have shown that pregnant women who are obese are more likely to have babies with rare but serious birth defects, including spina bifida, heart anomalies, cleft palate, and hydrocephaly, according to a New York Times article.    Massachusetts attorney Thomas M. Kiley, concentrates on legal issues associated with birth defects. According to the article, research recently published in the Jour [...]