A brain hemorrhage is a serious–even life-threatening–medical condition. Your doctor and other members of your health care team can help avoid this dangerous condition by monitoring your pregnancy and your unborn baby’s growth and development. Careful prenatal care can help avoid a plethora of concerns, including the health of your baby’s head and brain. Having your son or daughter diagnosed with a brain hemorrhage is challenging. Knowing doctors could have prevented a brain hemorrhage from occurring at birth can make an already challenging situation worse.
In many cases, women who have an increased risk of premature delivery should be given corticosteroids to reduce the risk of a brain hemorrhage. Pregnant women who take medications that affect their risks of heavy bleeding should be prescribed vitamin K prior to the delivery of their newborn. Infants born in a hospital with an on-site NICU also decreases the risk of damage resulting from a brain hemorrhage. Your doctor should advise you of these and other necessary precautions to safeguard your health and the health of your baby.
Doctors can prevent a brain hemorrhage from occurring at birth by making concerted efforts to prevent premature delivery, avoiding actions that might lead to undue pressure or ruptured blood vessels in your baby, and monitoring the gestational age and weight of your baby throughout your pregnancy.
The Causes of Infant Brain Hemorrhage
A brain hemorrhage is often caused by premature birth with infants born more than ten weeks premature having the highest risk for a type of brain bleeding called an intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). This happens because the brain of a premature infant is fragile due to not being fully developed. IVH is seen more often in newborns with respiratory distress syndrome and unstable blood pressure.
Brain hemorrhages might also be caused by trauma at birth or by the pressure on your baby’s head as they pass through the birth canal or by the misuse or mishandling of assistive birth devices such as forceps and vacuum extractors. Doctors can prevent a brain hemorrhage from occurring at birth by handling implements carefully or by choosing a cesarean section delivery in cases of emergencies, prolonged labor, and delivery, or other potential traumas that might be present at birth.
Subarachnoid Hemorrhages
A subarachnoid hemorrhage is bleeding between your baby’s brain and the surrounding membranes, called the subarachnoid space. When this type of bleeding is seen in the brains of newborns, it is sometimes the result of birth injury or birth trauma. A subarachnoid hemorrhage is a very serious medical condition that can leave your infant with permanent brain damage. It should be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible following your child’s birth because severe cases can lead to infant death when left untreated.
Diagnosing a Brain Hemorrhage
Diagnosing a brain hemorrhage usually involves imaging tests. These tests are typically noninvasive and include one or more of the following:
- A computed tomography (CT) scan is an imaging test that processes x-ray images taken at multiple angles. Your child’s physician will inject a contrast dye that allows him to view your infant’s blood vessels in detail.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an imaging test that employs magnetic fields and radio waves. A doctor may inject dye into a blood vessel to create a detailed view of arteries and veins and to highlight blood flow.
These diagnostic imaging tests will allow your doctor to see inside your child’s brain in detail, make a timely and accurate diagnosis, and create a comprehensive treatment plan.
A Cesarean Section Delivery
A cesarean section, or C-section, is the surgical delivery of your baby through incisions made in your abdomen and uterus. Your doctor may recommend a C-section delivery if your labor fails to progress, your baby starts to show signs of distress, or if the umbilical cord becomes prolapsed, compressed, or wrapped around your baby’s neck. A C-section may also be warranted if an ultrasound suggests a potential problem at birth, your doctor becomes concerned about your baby’s heartbeat, or you show signs of placental abruption.
What Are the Symptoms of Brain Bleeds in Babies?
If you suspect your baby of having a brain bleed, you want a fast, accurate diagnosis and a favorable prognosis for their future. The first inkling of concern for your baby probably started when you noticed typical symptoms of brain bleeds in babies. The symptoms you noticed might include any or all of the following:
- Weak suckling
- Extreme sleepiness
- Decreases in your baby’s reflexes
- Noticeably decreased muscle tone
- Seizures and abnormal movements
- Fluctuations in your baby’s heart rate
- Apnea
- Changes in your baby’s blood pressure
Some babies might suffer from a brain bleed but have no symptoms at all, which makes observation and testing by physicians especially important. When you begin to notice the symptoms of a brain bleed in your son or daughter, consult a physician immediately.
How Can One Detect The Symptoms Of A Brain Bleeding In Newborns?
Your newborn might suffer from several different types of brain hemorrhages as the result of a serious birth injury. Although some symptoms may be similar, each type of brain hemorrhage will have their own symptoms. Some types of bleeding in the brain and their corresponding symptoms include:
- Subarachnoid HemorrhageWhen your child suffers from a subarachnoid hemorrhage or bleeding below the two membranes that cover their brain, you might detect the symptoms of a brain hemorrhage in your newborn that include seizures and lethargy.
- Subdural Hemorrhage If your infant suffers from a subdural hemorrhage, or bleeding between the outer and the inner layers of the covering of their brain, you may notice the onset of seizures.
- Epidural Hematoma A newborn with an epidural hematoma, or bleeding between the outer layer of brain tissue and their skull, you or your doctor might detect symptoms that include apnea and seizures.
If you detect the symptoms of a brain hemorrhage in your newborn, ask to see a doctor immediately for a complete examination and diagnosis.
How Are Brain Bleeds In Babies Diagnosed?
When you are told your newborn suffers from a brain bleed, one of the first things you will want to know is how brain bleeds in babies are diagnosed. Typically, a head ultrasound is recommended for all babies born prior to the thirtieth week of pregnancy. This routine head ultrasound is performed once in the first two weeks after your baby’s birth and is repeated around the time of your original due date.
In addition to these ultrasounds, a computerized tomography (CT) scan of the head is also recommended if your baby was full term but exhibited symptoms like a difficult birth, low blood count, or indications of bleeding in the brain. Brain bleeds diagnosed soon after your baby’s birth might lead to more favorable outcomes than later diagnoses.
A CT Scan of the Head
When brain bleeds in babies are diagnosed, one of the diagnostic tools your baby’s doctor might choose is a computerized tomography (CT) scan. This CT scan combines a series of X-ray images taken from a variety of angles. The varying angles and vantage points of these images create cross-sectional pictures of the bones, blood vessels and soft tissues inside your baby’s body. A CT scan provides images with significantly more detail than standard X-rays.
Birth Injury Lawsuit for a Preventable Brain Hemorrhage
A brain hemorrhage can lead to a variety of complications and medical issues for your baby. A birth injury attorney can help you in your fight for everything your child is entitled to receive.
If you believe your doctor could have prevented a brain hemorrhage from occurring at the birth of your child, you may be eligible for financial compensation to help you afford the ongoing medical care your child might require. To speak with an attorney in your state and receive a no-cost, no-obligation evaluation of your birth injury case, call The Birth Injury Lawyers Group at (800) 222-9529.