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Birth injuries: incidence and predisposing factors
1Department of Obstetrics and Surgery, Satakunta Central Hospital, Pori, Finland.
Summary
Birth injuries affect over 3% of newborns, with clavicle fractures being most common. Macrosomia and shoulder dystocia are key causes of brachial plexus injury.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal Medicine
- Neonatal Trauma
- Pediatric Orthopedics
Background:
- Birth-associated major injuries represent a significant concern in obstetrics.
- Understanding the incidence and causes of these injuries is crucial for improving neonatal outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present the incidence of birth-associated major injuries in a large cohort of live-born infants.
- To identify the most common types of birth injuries and their associated risk factors.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of major birth injuries over a seven-year period.
- Inclusion of 14,265 live-born infants in the study population.
- Categorization and frequency calculation of different injury types.
Main Results:
- The overall incidence of major birth trauma was 3.16% (441 injuries in 437 infants).
- Clavicle fractures were the most frequent injury (3.0%), followed by brachial plexus injury (0.11%) and long bone fractures (0.03%).
- Macrosomia (4.7% incidence) and shoulder dystocia were identified as primary causes of brachial plexus injury.
Conclusions:
- Birth injuries, particularly clavicle fractures, are relatively common.
- Macrosomia and shoulder dystocia are significant risk factors for severe birth injuries like brachial plexus injury.
- The observed frequency of macrosomia in this cohort warrants further investigation and highlights potential areas for intervention.