Birth defects are, unfortunately, a fact of life for many. Birth injury is sometimes caused by the fault of the child being born, and sometimes it is caused by the doctor delivering the baby. Some birth injuries are considered minor, others cause the death of an infant. One type of injury that many people are not familiar with is the hematoma. There are different types of hematomas, each basically means that there is an abnormal collection of blood. There are various types determined by which layers of the skin are affected and where the blood flows. Hematomas occurring at birth can be caused by different factors, two of which are all too common are the vacuum method of delivery and medical error. In our case, our son’s hematomas were caused by a medical error.
During the birth of my fourth and last child, the doctor tried a special technique in delivering him. When I got to the point in my labor where I was almost, but not quite, fully dilated, and unable to push, I shared this with the doctor. I would offer assistance in reversing the impulse, when he advised me that he knew the art of getting the last “lip of the neck,” as it is commonly called, over the child’s head as I could. go ahead and push it. At that time I was grateful that the doctor was trying to help me get through this labor and delivery and as soon as he said this he stopped it happening to be able When I felt like I couldn’t push, the doctor used a technique, and although it was painful, my son then handed it to me right away. Soon after birth it became apparent that my son had two lumps in his head, at the top of his skull.
I often asked about these “bumps” but was told time and time again that the swollen areas would get better before long. Within hours, however, they were bigger, and I was really worried. We were told that everything was fine, and that the swelling was going down. He did not.
The next morning it was clear that my son was tired and no longer wanted to nurse. It was almost impossible to raise it without producing wet hay. I shared my concern with the hospital staff, but they said it was the usual royal sickness, and that he was just tired from the birth. Now this wasn’t my first baby, this was my fourth. I knew it wasn’t right.
I was released from the hospital when my son was over twenty-four hours old. In the last two weeks, the hematomas (which I said were “subdural hematomas”, but when I read the descriptions myself, my son’s hematomas do not fit this description at all. But they fit the description of “cephalic cerebral hemorrhage” perfectly.) It did not go away. They did not shrink at all, and they looked horrible. They’re not discolored, like some bruises. But my son had two “bubbles” on his head. The bigger one was about half the size of a baseball. His head was very misshapen, and I was glad for the colder months was born, so that his old pictures might be made a little more flattering by the hats.
During one of our visits back to the family practice where the doctor was working, we ran into him. He stopped in the hall to see us for the first time since we were born. I could see that he was concerned about the hematomas, and also shared that he was the author of them. He was never angry with the doctor, as he was very humane and caring. I believed him care for patients and babies, and I felt that if he took responsibility for my son’s hematomas, which was completely accidental, It is unknown and terrible. Disturbing as it may be, I understand that birth has the potential to be dangerous, and not every birth is perfect. I didn’t feel that the doctor was wrong, I just felt that the technique he used was not without flaw or potential for injury. If I had known, I would certainly not have allowed it. I’m sure none of us knew we would face this problem. I wish it hadn’t happened, but I don’t get angry with the doctor. I know he wishes it hadn’t happened. It goes without saying that these hematomas are never caused by medical negligence.
Hematomas followed a long illness, which was also quite stressful. Between hours during the day, lying in a chair running in the light filtering through the window, to multiple blood tests. bilirubin level, when the stress that could not wake him, was right to feed for weeks and weeks, the disease was hard on all of us. The royal disease did not resolve until my son was six months old, by which time the hematomas had almost completely burned away, and his body could no longer deal with all the extra blood that had previously poured into them.
During these first six months my son was also very slow, and did not recover. At five months, although he was eating fairly well, he still weighed twelve pounds. They do not roll over or sit up until they are six months old, when the king’s disease, at which time he was quickly seized, was greatly assisted by his parents. At two and a half years, weighing about 35 pounds, he is tall for his age, runs and plays as normally as any other child of his age, and miraculously is actually quite advanced in talent. Although there was a time when of course I wondered if the birth injury could not be delayed more gently, I was certainly disappointed. By his second birthday, he had a vocabulary of over 300 words, and now speaks in two to three complete sentences. I am glad that he did not put it off like that, because I was going to be worried for so long.
The bruises never really went away. They did not always remain “bullies” and full of blood. At the time they started calculating, it meant that the “bumps” were in a stable part of the shape of my son’s head. When these things were done in this way, the head was also enlarged, so that the plates were no less visible, and his head assumed a more usual appearance. I was saddened that his head was not as shaped as I would have hoped, but at this time he could use a very Short haircut and my husband and I are the only ones who still notice that his head is not perfectly formed, and we also feel that we notice his head.
It is hoped that this article will help other women to avoid the technique of delivery that could bring this same type birth to their child.
