Birth Trauma

Key Points

• Birth trauma involves infant injuries from mechanical forces during birth (e.g., forceps, vacuum assistance, C-section, pulling/twisting, or prolonged labor).

• Symptoms may be subtle and painless at first, but can include irritability, limited head movement, and stiffness or tension.

• Early evaluation matters: Addressing dysfunction early may help prevent issues like torticollis, head flattening, and developmental delays.

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What is birth trauma?

Birth Trauma refers to injuries to the infant that result from mechanical forces during the birth process. This can be caused by:​​​​​​​​

• forceps​​​​​​​​

• vacuum assisted delivery​​​​​​​​

• c-section​​​​​​​​

• manual pulling or twisting​​​​​​​​

• increased labor time​​​​​​​​

Injuries resulting from birth trauma may go unnoticed during the delivery process. Birth trauma may be painless, but there are symptoms that most often occur when the condition has caused dysfunction. Some symptoms of birth trauma are irritability, lack of head movement, stiffness/tension.

If your baby or someone you know had a difficult birth it is essential to get them checked by our chiropractors to ensure your kiddo is functioning at 100% during this important developmental time. Dysfunction left untreated can lead to torticollis, head flattening, and developmental delays.

Have your newborn checked by one of our pediatric chiropractors today!