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Trust our firm to deliver exceptional client service no matter how complex your medical malpractice case is.

Medical Malpractice
Attorneys And Trained
Medical
Professionals

Trust our firm to deliver exceptional client service no matter how complex your medical malpractice case is.

Did your child sustain facial nerve palsy due to birth trauma?

On Behalf of | Jul 16, 2024 | Medical Malpractice

Facial nerve palsy (the inability to move muscles on one or both sides of the face due to nerve damage) is one of the most commonly reported birth injuries. This can occur just before or at the time of delivery.

Here is what to know about this birth injury:

Causes

Facial nerve palsy in newborns is caused by different factors. For starters, forceps pressure. When forceps are used to help deliver a neonate, it should be positioned around the baby’s head carefully and the pressure of the forceps blades should be correctly applied. When pressure is incorrectly applied, the facial nerve may sustain an injury.

Further, cases of babies sustaining facial nerve palsy in births that didn’t involve instrumentation are not uncommon. These cases are mostly caused by the pressure from the mother’s pelvis on the baby’s head, which occurs due to dangerous fetal positioning. Healthcare providers should monitor mothers in labor closely to spot and correct such issues sooner.

Treatment

A mild facial nerve palsy can go away on its own – when the baby gets to 2 to 3 months, especially when caused by intrauterine pressure. Thus, a baby may not need treatment. However, doctors should monitor the baby closely to make this conclusion. They should also schedule the child for follow-up appointments.

However, in some cases, the baby may need treatment, which may range from eye drops to surgery, depending on the severity of the damage as observed during exams and tests.

If you notice a problem with your child’s face that wasn’t diagnosed before you left the hospital or your baby’s facial nerves were damaged due to negligence, learn more about your case to take action.