Birth Injuries: Fetal Macrosomia and the Risk of Shoulder Dystocia

Getting the news that your beautiful newborn has suffered a birth injury is devastating. One of the leading risk factors for birth injury is macrosomia, which means that the baby is unusually large for their gestational weight. Infants with a birth weight of 9 lbs. 15 oz., or between 4000 and 5000 g, are considered macrosomatic. Mothers who have gestational diabetes or who are obese have a higher risk of macrosomia, but being over the age of 35, having a history of birthing larger children, or being of Hispanic origin can all contribute. When a baby’s weight exceeds 5000 g they are at increasingly higher risk for a birth injury called shoulder dystocia and other complications.

What is shoulder dystocia?

Shoulder dystocia occurs during a vaginal birth when the baby’s head has been delivered, but the shoulders get stuck behind the mother’s pubic bone, creating a risk for both baby and mother. Shoulder dystocia can cause brain damage or even the infant’s death if the doctor does not maneuver the child out of the birth canal properly and quickly enough.

The risk of a brachial plexus injury

The brachial plexus nerve runs from the spine to the side of the neck down into the shoulder, arm and hand. Brachial plexus injuries occur sometimes when the baby’s shoulder is stuck and the doctor tries to twist the baby’s body and pull it out. If there is not enough space for their shoulders to pass, the brachial plexus nerve can become stretched and even torn as the child is delivered.

While there are higher rates of shoulder dystocia and brachial plexus injury as fetal weight increases, most cases of shoulder dystocia occur in women with normal weight infants. More permanent injuries occur from shoulder dystocia among macro somatic infants.

Tips to prevent macrosomia

Not all fetal macrosomia can be prevented, because often the cause cannot be known for sure, but you or your loved one can reduce their chances of having a large baby by:

• Working with your doctor to monitor your weight gain during pregnancy
• If you are diabetic, making sure to monitor your blood sugar during pregnancy. This will help prevent fetal macrosomia.
• Going to your prenatal checkups so that your doctor can monitor your pregnancy and make sure that all is going well. They can monitor the size of the fetus and take the necessary steps to plan for the birth.

If your infant was injured during the birth process, you may want to speak to an experienced West Tennessee birth injury attorney right away. You may be able to take legal action against those responsible for your baby’s injuries. The Memphis birth injury lawyers at Bailey & Greer PLLC are here to protect your rights and to make sure that you are compensated for your losses.  Contact us today to schedule a free initial consultation to discuss your case at our Jackson or Memphis office.