Many women are choosing to have children in their 40s and later in life. In fact, women aged 404-44 are responsible for almost 12 births per 1,000 women. This is up 4% in three years. However, when a woman is pregnant over 40, she has a greater risk of preterm birth. With preterm births comes a higher chance of birth injuries.

About Birth Injuries

A birth defect is a health problem that usually is DNA related. Some examples are Down Syndrome, a cleft palate or even a heart murmur. Sometimes birth defects derive from outside factors like taking SSRIs during pregnancy. A birth injury is one suffered by a child during labor or delivery or soon after birth. Birth injuries may range from minor problems such as lacerations or bruising to severe injuries that could prove fatal. Improper delivery, birth-assisting tools, failure to monitor an infant properly, or failure to perform an emergency cesarean surgery are the most common causes of preventable birth injuries.

Birth Injuries Over 40

Around one out of 10 babies born in American is born prior to 37 weeks.  Babies born before 37 weeks are preterm. PLOS ONE published a study exploring advanced maternal age and preterm births. Researchers examined data from 184,000 births across 32 hospitals.  Researchers found that older women had more common factors leading to preterm birth. These include assisted reproduction techniques, chronic hypertension, gestational diabetes, and placenta previa.

Preterm Injuries

Since women over 40 are more at risk for preterm labor, that means their babies are more at risk for preterm injuries. In babies born prior to 37 weeks, the liver, kidneys, or lungs could not be fully developed. In addition, blood vessels are fragile, making the baby more susceptible to brain bleeds, especially intraventricular hemorrhages (IVH). Due to immature organs and body systems, a premature baby is prone to prolonged high bilirubin levels (prolonged jaundice), perinatal asphyxia, cerebral palsy, hypoxia, all of which can cause birth injuries and lifelong conditions, such as cerebral palsy.

Help After Preterm Injuries

Birth injuries are often lifelong complications that require consistent medical treatment and rehabilitation. Depending upon the severity of the injuries, the financial costs associated with birth injuries can range from several thousands to over a million during the lifespan of a child with birth injuries.
If you have preterm labor symptoms, contact your healthcare provider. Preterm labor doesn’t mean your baby will suffer from birth injuries. However, if your child does, you should seek legal counsel. A complex litigation attorney can help. At The Michael Brady Lynch Firm, our lawyers have decades of experience helping injured people get justice and full compensation for injuries caused negligence. The Michel Brady Lynch Firm regularly takes on the largest corporations in the world with a track records of proven success and results. Contact The Michael Brady Lynch Firm today, and our attorneys will review your case for free and help you protect your rights. For your complimentary consultation, call our office now.