Can a Newborn Actually Have a Stroke?
When you hear the term “stroke,” you probably envision an elderly person who collapses on the floor. Then, for the rest of his life, he slurs his words and battles various physical challenges. So, it might surprise you to hear that newborns can experience strokes too.
Babies are in fact at risk of suffering from a stroke, both inside and outside the womb. The causes vary from birth to birth.
For example, if your baby had a stroke within the womb, it may have been caused by a blood clot in your placenta that blocked the flow of blood. This is just one cause of stroke in babies. Other risk factors that can lead to your baby suffering from a stroke:
- You had a blood clotting disorder.
- Your baby had an interruption is arterial blood flow to his brain.
- You had preeclampsia/hypertension (high blood pressure that wasn’t dealt with).
- You had to have an emergency cesarean.
- Your second stage of labor was prolonged.
- You had a vacuum extraction.
- Your baby had heart anomalies.
- You experienced inflammation of the placenta.
- You had umbilical cord abnormalities.
- You had a pelvic inflammatory infection.
If your baby had a stroke, could it have been avoided? That depends on various factors that must be carefully weighed and reviewed by a medical professional. But yes, in some cases, a stroke can be avoided.
If Your Baby Experienced Bleeding in the Brain
It’s hard to imagine that your perfect looking new baby could have something wrong inside her tiny head. But bleeding in the brain does happen. And its effects can be devastating.
Why would your baby’s brain bleed?
She might have broken blood vessels, clogged blood vessels, or abnormal blood cells. If she bleeds because of blocked blood vessels, this is intracranial hemorrhage.
Any amount of blood on the brain is serious. So are the potential consequences. Cerebral palsy is one possible outcome.
When Your Baby Suffers a Lack of Oxygen at Birth (Asphyxia)
Your baby is an amazing feat of nature — he is born with the ability to endure a short period of low oxygen levels. But when that window closes, and he is still short of oxygen, life can go from wonderful to tragic in just a few breaths.
The risk of an oxygen shortage or “asphyxia” increases if your labor and delivery take too long and your baby becomes stressed. The lack of oxygen destroys the delicate tissue in the cerebral motor cortex of his brain.
Lack of oxygen to the baby can also occur if you had:
- Low blood pressure.
- A ruptured uterus.
- A detached placenta.
- Or problems with the umbilical cord.
What went wrong to rob your child of oxygen during this critical time? Could it have been prevented? As a mother, you deserve honest, informed answers to these questions.
Was My Baby’s Brain Damage Preventable?
If you are not sure, seek expert advice. It’s the only way to know if your doctor and medical team did everything possible to keep you and your baby safe and healthy. If your doctor failed you and your baby in any way, you may be entitled to financial help.
Contact 4MYCHILD today and see if your child is eligible for Benefits4Life.
