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Brain damage at birth can be caused by various factors including problems with the umbilical cord or placenta, head trauma, exposure to certain medications, and aspiration of amniotic fluid. Signs of brain damage include listlessness, delayed movements, and changes in pupil size. Treatment can fix initial problems or be irreversible.
Brain damage at birth can be caused by a variety of factors, including problems with the umbilical cord or placenta, compressive and tensile forces on the skull in the birth canal, exposure to certain medications during or shortly before delivery, and aspiration of amniotic fluid or meconium. In cases where a doctor is concerned about potential brain damage at birth, the laboring mother will be monitored closely so that action can be taken. In some cases, treatment can fix the initial problems associated with brain injuries, while in other cases, the brain damage can be irreversible.
The head is the first part of the body to emerge during healthy labor and can be subjected to considerable force in the birth canal. The skull plates are designed to deform slightly to address this issue, but if a baby has an unusually large head, the birth canal is very narrow, or labor is prolonged, brain damage can occur at birth. Problems with the umbilical cord, including cord compression and strangulation, are another cause for concern because they cause asphyxiation. In some cases, the placenta fails to supply the baby with enough oxygen during delivery, resulting in brain damage.
Head trauma can cause bleeding into or onto the brain. This causes pressure within the skull to build, potentially killing brain cells and causing brain damage at birth. Surgery may be needed to relieve the pressure, and some medical professionals find that cooling the skull helps prevent a cascading series of cell deaths in the brain.
Some drugs have been associated with brain damage at birth, including drugs used during labor and delivery if they are not applied safely. Some medications can lead to decreased blood flow and oxygenation, killing brain cells. Others may have a narcotic effect, causing the baby to breathe shallowly and slowly at first, instead of taking big breaths and getting large amounts of oxygen. This causes brain damage by limiting the oxygen supply to the brain.
When babies are delivered, they are quickly evaluated to see how healthy they are. Signs of brain damage can include listlessness, blue appearance, delayed movements, shallow breathing, and changes in pupil size. In the days following birth, problems such as motor disabilities, difficulty tracking objects visually, and so on may be additional indicators of brain damage. The brain is a highly elastic organ and providing interventions and treatments such as physical therapy can increase the chances of recovery or adaptation to brain damage.
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