If you’re about to be a new parent in New York, you likely have many things on your mind. Considering that, many expecting parents worry about potential injuries that could happen during the birthing process. Some of these injuries can involve the umbilical cord. Here’s more information about three umbilical cord-related injuries.
Nuchal cord
A nuchal cord occurs when an umbilical cord wraps around a newborn’s neck during the birthing process. In some cases, it’s possible for a medical professional to easily unwrap a cord that’s loosely around an infant’s neck. If the cord is wrapped tightly around an infant’s neck, cutting this cord is often the best option.
Cord prolapse
Cord prolapses occur when an umbilical cord exits the birth canal before the baby. Fortunately, prolapse-related birth injuries are rare. This type of injury often happens when a parent is giving birth prematurely. It’s also possible for a cord prolapse to happen when someone’s birthing multiple infants, including twins or triplets.
Cord compression
Sometimes, the umbilical cord can press itself between your baby and pelvis while giving birth. When the cord presses closely enough between you and your baby, it can cause cord compression. Since this cord is responsible for delivering nutrients, it’s not good to have it compressed for long periods. Fortunately, resolving cord compression is often simple. Most cord compressions resolve themselves after the person giving birth shifts their weight to another side or slightly changes positions.
To wrap things up, umbilical cord injuries during birth can happen in a variety of ways. Some birth injuries are the result of medical malpractice. If you or your infant were the victims of medical malpractice, you might be able to seek damages.