Some say the two most important days in life are the day you are born and the day you find out why. Unfortunately, not every child gets that chance. Some infants are injured the moment they arrive.
Instead of celebration, there is panic. Alarms go off, nurses rush in, and parents are left in shock, searching for answers. Nevertheless, research shows that some infant injuries happen despite every effort. However, others are caused by medical errors that should never have happened.
This blog looks at five common infant injuries that often send newborns straight to critical care. You will learn how they occur, what signs to watch for, and why taking early action is more important than most people realize.
Understanding Common Infant Injuries in Critical Care
The most common infant injuries that need critical care usually involve something serious, like the brain, spinal cord, nerves, or vital organs. These are life-changing injuries that usually need urgent care, surgery, or long-term support.
Some of these injuries happen because of unavoidable issues. For instance, it could be due to missed signs, a delay in ordering a C-section, or improper use of tools like vacuums or forceps. There are other cases of medication errors in nursing, such as giving the wrong drug or missing an essential dose during labour or after birth.
These are called medical errors, and they can change a child’s entire future. The first step to protecting that future is by knowing what caused the injury and why it should never have happened.
1. Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)
HIE is a type of brain damage that happens when a baby’s brain doesn’t get enough oxygen during labour or delivery. A minute without oxygen can cause serious, permanent harm. There are many ways this can happen:
- The placenta might tear away too early.
- The umbilical cord might get twisted or pinched.
- Doctors might ignore signs of fetal distress and wait too long to act.
Sometimes, the signs are crystal clear. The baby may be very weak, struggle to breathe, have low muscle tone, or even experience seizures. Other times,
the symptoms take weeks or months to show up. This entails delayed developmental milestones or stiffness in the limbs.
HIE can lead to lifelong challenges, like cerebral palsy (CP), speech issues, or learning problems. In many cases, early decisions could have prevented the injury.
Missed heart rate changes, delayed C-sections, and poor communication are all examples of medical errors that can lead to HIE. Medication errors in nursing can also include the failure to give oxygen support or drugs on time, which can make things worse.
2. Brachial plexus injuries (including Erb’s palsy)
The brachial plexus is a group of nerves near the shoulder. These nerves control movement and feeling in the arm and hand.
During birth, things can go wrong. If the baby’s shoulder gets stuck behind the mother’s pelvis—a complication called shoulder dystocia—the doctor has to act fast. How they act, though, matters. For instance, too much pulling, twisting the baby the wrong way, or using force without proper technique can stretch or tear the nerves, and that is when damage begins.
There are cases where the injury is mild and the baby may recover in a few weeks. However, the damage can also be permanent. The arm may stay weak or stiff. In severe cases, the child may never regain full use of the arm.
These are common infant injuries that didn’t have to happen. They result from medical errors such as poor delivery decisions or failure to handle shoulder dystocia safely. Medication errors, like giving the wrong drug to speed up labour, can also increase the risk.
3. Skull fractures or intracranial hemorrhage
A baby’s skull is soft. It is built that way to pass through the birth canal. However, too much pressure can break it.
Skull fractures and intracranial hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain) can happen when too much force is used during delivery. This usually happens with tools like forceps or vacuums. If they are used incorrectly or used when they shouldn’t be used at all, the baby’s head takes the damage.
Some cases are mild, such as a small fracture that heals on its own. In this instance, there are no long-term problems. However, some cases are far more serious. For example, bleeding in the brain can lead to seizures, coma, and even death.
Signs to watch for include swelling on the head, unresponsiveness, trouble feeding, or strange eye movements. Similar to HIE injury, some babies may show symptoms right away, while others take longer.
Many of these common infant injuries stem from poor choices made during birth, such as the wrong tool used at the wrong time.
4. Spinal cord damage
There are infant injuries that are rare. When they occur, though, the results can be just as devastating. Spinal cord damage is one of them. It usually happens during a difficult delivery, especially when the baby is in a breech position. That means feet or bottom first instead of the head.
However, when a baby is pulled too hard or twisted the wrong way, the spinal cord can stretch or tear. That damage can lead to weakness or full paralysis. There are also reported cases of babies losing movement in their arms, legs, or both, and the injury may be permanent.
Most of these cases can be attributed to medical errors, such as rushed deliveries, poor handling, or incorrect decisions made in critical moments. After delivery, things can get worse. Some babies are given the wrong medications or not given any at all. These are serious medication errors.
5. Infections due to medication errors
Infections in newborns can become deadly if not treated in time. However, the real danger is that many of them begin with simple medication errors.
A missed antibiotic, wrong dose, a nurse who didn’t check the chart, or a delay in treating Group B Strep (GBS) or neonatal sepsis, for instance, are not just small mistakes. They are medication errors in nursing that can lead to brain damage, long hospital stays, or worse.
Babies need protection from the start, and when the system fails them, it is most likely due to basic medication errors that should have been caught.
For parents, understanding how medication errors in nursing happen is helpful. Behind many of these common infant injuries is one simple truth: the error never had to happen.
Why Early Legal Guidance Is Critical
Timing matters, and in birth injury cases, it matters a lot. As earlier noted, not all infant injuries show the full picture right away. Some signs come weeks or months later. By then, the trail of what really happened can start to fade. Records go missing, memories fade, and mistakes get buried.
Acting early helps stop that. A good legal team can gather evidence, review charts, and spot red flags that others ignore. They dig deep and find what no one told you, like medical errors that were never mentioned.
Some families are told their child’s condition is natural or inevitable. However, these are likely not true. If something feels off, trust your gut. The sooner you ask questions, the sooner you will get answers.
You Pay Us Nothing Unless We Win
At Sommers Roth & Elmaleh, we have spent decades helping families get justice after life-changing infant injuries. This is all we do, and we take it seriously.
We don’t simply look at medical records; we investigate deeper. Our lawyers have uncovered medical errors that were either hidden, covered up, or never explained. They have also seen falsified reports and handled cases where the truth was buried, until we found it.
What sets us apart is our understanding of medicine. We know Canada’s healthcare system inside out, and we work with top experts in the field to build strong and clear cases. We also invest in every client—sometimes, hundreds of thousands of dollars, and we only get paid if we win. So, if you think something went wrong, don’t wait.
You have nothing to lose and everything to fight for. Reach out to Sommers Roth & Elmaleh today at 1-844-940-2386, or contact us online for a free consultation. We will listen and guide you. Your family won’t pay a cent unless we win the case.