For the past year, people throughout the United States have been concerned about the risks of COVID-19, and as the virus continues to affect everyone’s daily lives, most people are taking precautions to minimize the risks of infection. Those who do become infected may be able to receive the treatment necessary to recover, but the chances of death continue to be high. This is a major concern for pregnant mothers since they will want to protect their child’s health in addition to their own. Unfortunately, the rate of maternal death in the United States, which is already significantly higher than in other industrialized countries, has become even higher for mothers who have been infected with COVID-19.

Additional Risks for Pregnant Mothers

Multiple studies have looked at the rates of severe illness, hospitalization, and death among pregnant women with COVID-19, finding that these women are at an increased risk of serious complications. Pregnant women are 3.5 times more likely to be hospitalized, and they are also much more likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit or require interventions such as invasive ventilation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). In addition, a study found that the maternal mortality rate for women with COVID-19 infections was 1,250 deaths out of 100,000 pregnancies. This rate is 13.6 times higher than the mortality rate for non-pregnant adults of a similar age.

Sleep is an important part of everyone’s life. Those who struggle with problems that make it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep will not only have trouble getting enough rest, but their overall health may also be affected. Unfortunately, cerebral palsy can often lead to a variety of sleep issues for children. Parents will want to make sure they are doing everything they can to protect children’s health while allowing them to live happy and fulfilling lives. By understanding the factors that may lead to sleep problems, they can determine the best ways to help children get the rest they need while also addressing any related issues that may affect their physical or mental health.

Causes of Sleep Deficiency for Children With Cerebral Palsy

Sleep deficiency may involve multiple different types of disruptions in a child’s normal sleep patterns, including resistance to going to sleep, waking up during the night or in the early morning, and being unable to fall asleep without assistance. Sleep deficiency can have a variety of negative effects, including behavioral problems, mood disorders such as depression, cognitive impairments, decreased performance in school, and physical health problems such as obesity or sensory processing issues.

Births take place every day in hospitals throughout the United States, and doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel are trained and equipped to address complications and perform procedures to ensure that children are delivered safely. Cesarean deliveries are commonly performed if there are problems that would make a vaginal delivery unsafe, and in some cases, emergency C-sections are necessary to prevent birth injuries to children. Since a C-section is a surgical procedure, there are a variety of complications that can occur, and in addition to issues that may affect the health of a child, there is also a risk of life-threatening maternal injuries.

Injuries to Infants in a Cesarean Delivery

While C-sections can usually be performed without putting a child at risk, some injuries may still occur. The most common injuries involve lacerations in which a child is cut by surgical tools during the procedure. While these types of injuries are usually minor, in some cases, they could lead to serious blood loss or nerve damage. If children are delivered before 39 weeks, they are at higher risk of injuries such as broken bones, skull fractures, or brachial plexus injuries. Following a C-section, some newborns will experience breathing issues or excessive fluid in the lungs.

There are multiple different types of complications that can affect both mothers and children during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Cerebral palsy is one of the most serious issues that can occur because of birth injuries, and this condition can affect all types of children and families. However, some studies have revealed troubling statistics that indicate that cerebral palsy is more prevalent among Black children than white children. Because of these racial disparities, Black parents of children with cerebral palsy will want to understand the potential causes of their children’s condition and the steps they can take to provide for their children’s needs.

Possible Reasons for Racial Disparities in Children With Cerebral Palsy 

The key study that found these racial disparities was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and it looked at children in a geographical area who had been diagnosed with spastic cerebral palsy that resulted because of brain injuries that occurred before or during a child’s birth. While the study found that the overall prevalence of cerebral palsy had not changed over time, Black children born at normal birth weight and at full term were more likely to experience cerebral palsy than white children in the same circumstances. Notably, the study found that Black and white children with a very low birth rate were equally likely to experience cerebral palsy. However, racial disparities play a role in these cases as well, since other studies have found that Black children are nearly twice as likely as white children to be born with low birth weight.

There are many different types of complications that can arise during labor and delivery, and if they are not addressed properly, they can affect the health of both the child and the mother. Infections are one common concern, and in addition to taking steps to ensure that a child does not become infected by bacteria or viruses during delivery, doctors and nurses should also address maternal infections, since they may lead to birth injuries to children or maternal birth injuries. Chorioamnionitis is one type of dangerous condition that can sometimes occur, and it involves a bacterial infection of the amniotic fluid and the membranes inside the uterus.

What Causes Chorioamnionitis?

Chorioamnionitis typically occurs when bacteria that are present in the vagina, such as E. Coli or Group B Streptococcus (GBS), enter the uterus. These bacteria can then infect tissues within the uterus, including the placenta or the sac surrounding the amniotic fluid, and the child may also become infected.

Even though childbirth is a commonplace event, it can still be dangerous. Multiple different types of complications can occur during labor and delivery, and they should be addressed properly to prevent birth injuries to children or maternal injuries to the mother. One issue that can increase the risk of injury is the use of drugs to induce labor if a woman does not go into labor on her own, and it is past her due date. While Pitocin is commonly used for this purpose, it has been found to cause complications related to hyperstimulation of the uterus.

When Is Pitocin Used?

Pitocin is a synthetic form of the hormone oxytocin, which induces contractions in the uterus. Pitocin may be used to induce labor in pregnancies that have progressed beyond 40 weeks, and it may also be administered to speed up labor or help avoid complications if labor has stalled. Pitocin will only be effective if a mother’s cervix is favorable for labor and has begun to soften and dilate.

Since cerebral palsy (CP) can affect a child in many different ways, parents will no doubt be considering everything they can to address these ongoing health concerns and ensure that their child receives treatment that will allow him or her to live a healthy and fulfilling life. Botox injections are one treatment that has been used to address muscle spasticity, stiffness, and pain. In addition, they may help children with CP improve their ability to walk and increase their range of motion.

Using Botox to Treat Spasticity

Botulinum toxin has a variety of medical uses, and under the brand name Botox, it is most well-known for its cosmetic uses to decrease facial wrinkles. When injected into the muscles, Botox can cause partial paralysis and weaken muscle movements. This can reduce muscle spasms, and it can help children gain more control over their movements while also addressing the pain caused by muscle tightness and spasticity.

Parents of children with cerebral palsy often face an overwhelming amount of information. Fully understanding how this condition has affected their child’s growth and development can be daunting, and making choices about the types of treatment a child should receive is often difficult. When surgical intervention is recommended to lengthen the muscles or tendons in the legs, parents should thoroughly discuss this option with medical providers to determine whether it will be an effective treatment for their child and whether it will cause any complications in the future. 

Orthopedic Surgery Options and Considerations

In some cases, leg lengthening surgery may be used to correct a difference in length between a child’s legs, or it may help address spasticity or severe muscle contracture, improving a child’s gait and allowing them to walk independently. Surgery may also be recommended after a patient has undergone a selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR).

Complications during labor and delivery can lead to different birth injuries, such as cerebral palsy (CP). Children with cerebral palsy may experience a variety of symptoms that affect their movement, cognitive function, and many other areas of their lives. Epilepsy is a common condition that is related to cerebral palsy, and between one-third and one-half of people diagnosed with CP experience some form of seizures. While different medications are available to treat epilepsy, parents will want to make sure these drugs are safe for their children to use.

Treating Seizures With Anticonvulsant Medications 

Children with cerebral palsy can experience multiple different types of seizures. These include tonic-clonic seizures that cause a child to suffer a complete loss of motor functions and experience convulsions in the muscles, as well as confusion that can last up to a few weeks after a seizure. Partial complex seizures can also occur, and while these do not involve convulsions, they may lead to a partial loss of consciousness and temporary impairment to walking or other motor functions.

All parents are concerned about issues that may affect their children’s health, and one recent study highlights some troubling trends regarding developmental disabilities. Scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) found that the rates of these types of disabilities among children increased between 2009 and 2017. Parents will not only want to be aware of the prevalence of these types of health concerns, but they should understand whether birth injuries may have led to disabilities that impact their children’s well-being.

Birth Injuries and Developmental Disabilities

During this study, researchers looked at parent-reported data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to determine the percentage of children between the ages of 3 and 17 diagnosed with developmental disabilities. During the period of 2009-2011, this percentage was 16.2 percent, but the percentage increased to 17.8 percent in the period of 2015-2017. Additionally, the study found that boys were more likely than girls to be diagnosed with a developmental disability, and disabilities were more likely to affect children in rural areas and those with public health insurance than children in urban areas and those with private insurance.

Giving birth should be one of the most cherished moments of a person’s entire life. Sadly, many mothers throughout the United States have unexpected complications during pregnancy or birth that result in death or injury to the baby or the mother herself. While some of these incidents are unavoidable, others are caused by negligence on the part of the medical staff interacting with the patient. Medical malpractice occurs when a patient is injured or otherwise harmed by a medical professional who fails to perform his or her medical duties proficiently.

When Is a Medical Professional Guilty of Malpractice?

In order to prove that medical malpractice occurred, several conditions must be met. First, an established “doctor-patient” relationship must exist between the individuals in question. For example, a person cannot sue a nurse for medical advice that he or she gave casually outside of work just because that person is a nurse.
Next, the medical professional must have been negligent. Put another way, in order for an action to be considered malpractice, the doctor must have caused harm in a way that any other capable doctor would not have. A medical professional’s care is required to be consistent with “the same degree of knowledge, skill, and ability as an ordinarily careful professional would exercise under similar circumstances” and compliant with the prevailing standard of care. If it can be shown that a doctor, nurse, or other medical professional was not exhibiting this obligatory level of care, he or she may be considered negligent.
Finally, in order for a medical malpractice claim to be valid, the medical professional’s negligence had to cause some type of injury that led to damages. Damages can include medical expenses, physical pain, mental anguish, future medical expenses, decreased earning capacity, and lost wages.

Even when everything goes smoothly, childbirth can be a traumatic process for both mothers and infants. Unfortunately, medical issues during pregnancy or complications during labor and delivery can lead to birth injuries, and in some cases, these injuries can have a long-term or permanent impact on a child’s health and well-being. One concern that parents may have is the possibility that their child will suffer hearing loss due to a birth injury. Understanding the potential causes of hearing loss can help parents determine the best way to respond and ensure that their child receives the proper care and treatment.

Causes of Infant Hearing Loss

In the majority of cases, children experience hearing loss because of genetic causes, either due to a mutation of the child’s genes or as part of a syndrome in which the child experiences other symptoms. If either parent has one or more family members who are deaf or who have suffered genetic hearing loss, doctors should closely monitor the child during pregnancy and ensure that parents are prepared to provide the child with the proper care.

Despite the remarkable medical advances that have taken place in recent decades, birth injuries continue to be an unfortunate reality in the United States. While some birth injuries are easily remedied and do not result in lasting damage to the infant, others result in lifelong complications or even infant death. Gastroschisis is a congenital birth defect in which an infant’s intestines protrude through his or her abdominal wall. Surgery is necessary to correct the abnormality, but unfortunately, surgery is not always enough to prevent the infant from suffering major health complications or even death.

The Causes of Gastroschisis Still Largely Unknown

Gastroschisis occurs when the abdominal wall of a growing fetus does not develop properly and a 1- to 2-inch opening in the abdominal wall forms. This allows the fetus’s intestines to extend outside of its body. The intestines are then exposed to the amniotic fluid and may become inflamed, twisted, or shortened. In complex cases, other internal organs may also protrude through the abdominal opening. Since the 1980s, more and more babies have been born with gastroschisis. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that the incidence of gastroschisis nearly doubled between 1995 and 2005. Younger mothers and mothers who drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes during pregnancy are more likely to have babies with gastroschisis; however, the exact cause of the defect is still unknown.

A baby’s transition from the womb into the outside world is a critical moment. If complications arise during the birthing process, the baby can suffer injuries that affect him or her for the rest of his or her life. One common complication that can lead to serious medical conditions is a breech birth. Babies should be born head first. However, in 3-4 percent of births, the baby is not positioned in the correct way. Breech presentation increases the risk of serious birth injuries and even infant death in some cases.

Causes of Breech Presentation During Birth

A baby is in a breech presentation if he or she is positioned in such a way that his or her buttocks or feet will enter the birth canal first. Breech presentations are more common when certain risk factors are present. These factors include but are not limited to:

• Giving birth to multiples, such as twins or triplets

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