Can breech extraction result in cerebral palsy? Breech extraction is a method used during vaginal delivery when a baby is in breech position, meaning the buttocks or feet come first instead of the head. Doctors sometimes manually pull the baby’s body out after the head is delivered, but this can involve risks if too much force is used.
In breech births, the baby’s arms or shoulders might get stuck above the head. Pulling to free them stretches the nerves in the brachial plexus, which run from the neck to the arm. This nerve damage leads to conditions like Erb’s palsy or Klumpke’s palsy, causing weakness or paralysis in the arm, shoulder, or hand. Most kids with Erb’s palsy recover well, with 80 to 90 percent regaining full function through therapy, but severe cases can mean lifelong issues.
Cerebral palsy is different. It affects muscle control and movement because of brain damage, often from lack of oxygen or bleeding in the brain during birth. Breech extraction itself does not directly cause cerebral palsy based on medical reports. Instead, problems during breech deliveries that might lead to brain injury include prolonged labor, fetal distress, or delays in switching to a cesarean section. For example, if oxygen deprivation happens because delivery takes too long, it can harm the brain and result in cerebral palsy.
Vacuum or forceps use in breech cases adds risks like skull bleeding or intracranial hemorrhage, which in rare severe instances contribute to brain damage and cerebral palsy. But these tools are not standard for breech extraction, and complications are more tied to why they were needed, like the baby not getting enough oxygen beforehand.
Breech position raises overall birth injury risks, but cerebral palsy links more to oxygen loss or brain bleeds from labor issues, not the extraction pulling on arms or body. Quick medical decisions, like timely C-sections, help avoid these problems.
Sources
https://www.cerebralpalsyhub.com/birth-injury/erbs-palsy/
https://www.cerebralpalsyhub.com/birth-injury/vacuum-delivery-complications/
https://www.grossmanjustice.com/new-jersey-breech-birth-delayed-section-lawyer/
https://www.childbirthinjuries.com/birth-injury/c-section-injuries/
https://powlesslaw.com/newborn-brain-bleeds-ich-causes-symptoms-and-malpractice/
https://www.birthinjurylawalliance.com/chicago-birth-injuries-attorneys
https://www.sokolovelaw.com/birth-injuries/causes/
