Labour Pains: How to Care for Your Child After Birth Injury – Child labour is a physically draining process that you mostly forget once you first lay eyes on your newborn baby. All that struggle suddenly seems worth it.
However, not every birth is without issue. Sometimes your baby can come into the world with an injury. Most of these are mild and require some extra treatment for a while. Here’s how to care for your newborn if they suffer a mild injury during childbirth.
Mild Bruises
All humans are susceptible to bruising, and most of us can shrug off these minor aches with ease. For a newborn, these bruises can feel more painful. Delivering a child is a simple process but a bumpy one. The baby needs to be pulled from the birth canal with some force, which can result in some mild bruising on their face.
Anything too serious will be treated by the medical staff immediately, but this bruising is likely to still be there when you take your child home. These bruises will heal quickly, though, and you should try to be mindful of them when you pick up your baby. If they look aggravated, a cold compress (not frozen) for a brief period can soothe the aches.
Fractures
A more serious result of being pulled from a birth canal is suffering a fracture or broken bone. These complications are more likely in breached babies but can still occur during a regular birth. These fractures should be noticed by the doctors immediately, and they will often treat the break with a loose splint and advise you to leave it to set.
Premature Babies
Going into labour before your due date is very common and is known as premature birth. It is entirely possible that your child is a few months premature or only a few days. Either way, your baby may need some extra care when premature to help them adjust to the outside world.
Taking care of a premature baby is not too different to taking care of a regular baby, only you should try to be more attentive. Temperature, sleep, and feeds are more crucial in assisting your baby catch up and grow; therefore, you will need to be observant. Your doctor will provide advice for premature care, and they shouldn’t release the child into your care if you are unable to care for the child at home.
Birth Injuries Due to Negligence
As discussed above, most birth injuries are mild and easily treatable. More importantly, these injuries are just a natural side effect of the birthing process. However, it is possible to encounter a childbirth issue that could have been prevented or is more serious. These can result in Medical Negligence claims. If you feel that you have a case for medical negligence, check out these guides from Gadsby Wicks Solicitors.
Summary
Overall, taking care of your newborn child should be a breeze, so take our advice on how to properly care for mild baby injuries. Your doctors should do most of the heavy lifting for you anyway and will advise you on these everyday labour occurrences.
Poppy Watt