Birth Trauma Research

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Birthing on our backs causes "birth defects" and stillbirths:

"Birth trauma remains an under publicized and, therefore, an under treated problem. There is a need for further documentation and especially more studies directed toward prevention. In the meantime, manual treatment of birth trauma injuries to the neuromusculoskeletal system could be beneficial to many patients not now receiving such treatment, and it is well within the means of current practice in chiropractic and manual medicine."
Gottlieb MS; Neglected spinal cord, brain stem and musculoskeletal injuries stemming from birth trauma. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1993; 16(8):537-43 / Medline ID: 94087093

"Spinal cord and brainstem injuries often occur during the process of birth, but frequently escape diagnosis. Respiratory depression in the neonate is a cardinal signal of much injury. In infants there may be lasting neurologic defects reflecting the primary injury"
Towbin,A ; Latent spinal cord and brain stem injury in new born infants. Develop Med Child Neurol 1969; 11:54-68 / Medline ID: 69208820

"Clinical, neurological and roentgenological complex investigations of 174 children with birth injuries revealed pathogenetic relations between birth trauma of the spine, the medulla and the functional obturations of the intestinal tract."
Michailov MK, Akberov RF. X-ray symptomatology and differential diagnosis of functional obstruction of the digestive tract in children induced by birth injuries of the spine and spinal cord]. Radiol Diagn (Berl). 1989;30(6):669-74 / Unique ID: 90116344

"The cause of clavicle fracture is the violent hurry of delivery, the drawing of the head before birth of shoulders."
Jojart G; Zubek L; Tóth G. Clavicle fracture in the newborn. Orv Hetil, 132(48):2655-7 1991 / Medline ID: 92100483

"This study suggests that the approach to the childbirth conducting should be changed, so that the percentage of clavicle fractures can be reduced or noticed in time by help of more frequent and systematic clinical examinations."
Jelic A; Marin L; Pracny M; Jelic N. Fractures of the clavicle in neonates. Lijec Vjesn 1992; 114(1-4):32-5 / Medline ID: 94118739

"Confirming clinical observation, average peak forces for some difficult and many shoulder dystocia deliveries exceed the force necessary to induce clavicle fracture at birth."
Allen RH; Bankoski BR; Nagey DA. Simulating birth to investigate clinician-applied loads on newborns. Med Eng Phys 1995; 17(5):380-4 / Medline ID: 95400556

"There exists a positive relationship between cranial motion restrictions and learning disabled children, as well as children with a history of an obstetrically complicated delivery."
Upledger JE, The relationship of craniosacral examination findings in grade school children with developmental problems., J Am Osteopath Assoc 1978; 77(10):760-76 / Medline ID: 78193624

"High cervical spinal cord injury in neonates is a specific complication of forceps rotation."
Menticoglou SM; Perlman M; Manning FA; High cervical spinal cord injury in neonates delivered with forceps: report of 15 cases. Obstet Gynecol 1995; 86(4 Pt 1):589-94 / Medline ID: 95405789

"Assisted breech or forceps deliveries can cause severe spinal cord injury seen in stillbirth and crib death (SIDS) autopsies."
Towbin,A ; Latent spinal cord and brain stem injury in new born infants. Develop Med Child Neurol 1969; 11:54-68 / Medline ID: 69208820

"The neonatal mortality rate attributable to use of the forceps was 34.9 per 1000. The incidences of delayed onset of respiration (17.4%), birth trauma (15.1%), and abnormal neurological behaviour--namely, apathy or irritability or both--(23.3%) significantly exceeded those in a matched group of babies born spontaneously. Babies on whom forceps were used had a significantly greater incidence of abnormal neurological behaviour."
Chiswick ML; James DK. Kielland's forceps: association with neonatal morbidity and mortality. Br Med J 1979; 1(6155):7-9 / Medline ID: 79104560

"Among 44,292 infants born between October 1, 1982 and July 31, 1987, there were 92 recorded cases of congenital seventh nerve palsy. Of these '81 were acquired' for an incidence of 1.8 per 1,000. Seventy-four of the 81 (91%) were associated with forceps delivery."
Falco NA; Eriksson E. Facial nerve palsy in the newborn: incidence and outcome. Plast Reconstr Surg 1990; 85(1):1-4 / Medline ID: 90083438

"Recognized causative factors are traction on the infant's trunk during breech delivery, rotational stresses applied to the spinal axis, traction on the cord via the brachial plexus in shoulder dystocia, and hyperextension of the fetal head in breech delivery or transverse presentation. Recognition of these factors is the basis for prevention of this terrible accident."
Byers RK; Spinal-cord injuries during birth. Dev Med Child Neurol 1975; 17(1):103-10 / Medline ID: 75131672

"The vacuum extractor exerts considerable traction force. Fetal skull fracture can result, and its true incidence may be higher than expected, considering that few neonates with normal neurologic behavior undergo skull x-ray."
Hickey K; McKenna P. Skull fracture caused by vacuum extraction. Obstet Gynecol 1996; 88(4 Pt 2):671-3 / Medline ID: 96438912

Ross MG; Skull fracture caused by vacuum extraction. Obstet Gynecol 1997; 89(2):319 / Medline ID: 97167354

"Delivery by vacuum extraction increases the incidence of perinatal injuries and consequently the incidence of neurological deficits in children."
Papaefthymiou G; Oberbauer R; Pendl G. Craniocerebral birth trauma caused by vacuum extraction: a case of growing skull fracture as a perinatal complication. Childs Nerv Syst 1996; 12(2):117-20 / Medline ID: 96270942

"The incidence of Erb's palsy in our population is similar to that of other reported studies and has remained unchanged over the past 30 years, even as our cesarean rate has risen from 5% to 20%."
Graham EM; Forouzan I; Morgan MA. A retrospective analysis of Erb's palsy cases and their relation to birth weight and trauma at delivery. J Matern Fetal Med 1997; 6(1):1-5 / Medline ID: 97181216

"Erb's palsy is the most common obstetric brachial plexus injury followed by total plexus palsy."
al-Qattan MM; Clarke HM; Curtis CG. Klumpke's birth palsy. Does it really exist? J Hand Surg ÍBrÍ 1995; 20(1):19-23 / Medline ID: 95279850

"When birth weight was controlled for in the analysis, midforceps vacuum, and low forceps remained significantly associated with the Erb's palsy. These data demonstrate a high risk for serious birth injury associated with instrumental midpelvic delivery."
McFarland LV; Raskin M; Daling JR; Benedetti TJ. Erb/Duchenne's palsy: a consequence of fetal macrosomia and method of delivery. Obstet Gynecol 1986; 68(6):784-8 / Medline ID: 87066010

"A 5-wk-old infant boy suffered from Erb-Duchenne palsy. The patient received specific chiropractic adjustments to the mid-cervical. The Erb's palsy resolved with only a mild residual "waiters tip" deformity within 2 months. In this case, chiropractic adjustment is suggested as an effective treatment for Erb's palsy."
Harris SL; Wood KW; Resolution of infantile Erb's palsy utilizing chiropractic treatment. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1993, 16(6):415-8 / Medline ID: 94014831

Thanks to: Future Perfect, Inc. for compiling the research provided above.

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Postpartum infections still plauge hospitals:

"In conclusion, our results indicate that postpartum infections requiring medical attention are common and that most postpartum infections occur after hospital discharge, so that use of routine inpatient surveillance methods alone will lead to underestimation of postpartum infection rates. "

Yokoe DS; Christiansen CL; Epidemiology of and Surveillance for Postpartum Infections CDC Sept-Oct 2001

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