Birth Injury Terms and Definitions

ABO Blood Type Incompatibility - Condition occurring when the mother's blood type does not match the blood type of her unborn child

Adaptive Equipment - Any apparatus created to assist people with disabilities in daily life, such as crutches, wheelchairs, wheelchair lifts, hearing aids, etc. Existing equipment can also be changed by adding handles, grips, supports or other modifications to assist the disabled user.

Alloimmune Hemolytic Anemia - A condition where the immune system attacks its own red blood cells, therefore reducing the ability of these cells to supply oxygen (to the baby)

Anemia - A condition of low red blood cell count because of a decrease in the production of hemoglobin

Arnold-Chiari Malformation - An anatomic abnormality usually discovered at birth where the brain (cerebellum) protrudes into the spinal canal

Anoxia - Absence of oxygen supply to the organs or tissue of the body

Apnea - A period of time during which breathing stops or is extremely impaired

Asphyxia - A condition caused by the lack of oxygen supply or excess carbon dioxide that results in hypoxia.

Aphasia - A speech disorder involving the partial or total loss of the ability to communicate via speech or in written language

Apgar Score - A means that Doctors use to evaluate a baby's health at birth and then again a few minutes following birth. The score assesses heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, skin color and reflexes of the newborn.

Asphyxia Deprivation - Impaired breathing

Ataxic Cerebral Palsy - A type of Cerebral Palsy where the individual exhibits decreased muscle tone and/or deficient muscle coordination

Athetoid Cerebral Palsy - Also known as Dyskenetic Cerebral Palsy, it is a type of Cerebral Palsy resulting from damage to the basal ganglia in the midbrain which results in mixed muscle tone in an individual. These individuals have slow, involuntary muscle movements and difficulty in holding the body in an upright position.

Atonic - Without normal muscle tone or strength

Avulsion - The tearing away of a body part due to trauma

Brachial Plexus Palsy - Paralysis of part or all of the arm as the result of any injury to the nerves in the shoulder and neck area

Breech Presentation - The baby's feet or buttocks are entering the birth canal first as opposed to a vertex or head first position at birth. Breech presentations tend to have more complications in birthing process.

Caesarean Section (C-Section) - The delivery of a fetus by surgically opening the abdominal and uterine walls of the mother. Emergency Caesarean Sections are performed if vaginal delivery is proving dangerous or difficult for the baby or the mother.

Central Nervous System - The part of the human nervous system consisting of the spinal cord and the brain. The spinal cord is the column of nerve tissue connecting to the brain that transmits nerve impulses to and from the brain.

Cerebral Cortex - The thin, gray covering of the surface of the brain that is responsible for the processes of thought, perception and memory

Cerebral Palsy - An abnormality of motor function that is caused by damage to or lack of development of the brain. It is typically acquired at an early age as the result of trauma before, during or just after birth.

Cognitive - Of or relating to being aware, knowing, thinking, and learning

Congenital - Condition present at birth

Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) - This occurs when the mother contracts Rubella (German Measles) during her pregnancy and the fetus is infected by the virus. CRS causes nervous system damage in the fetus. Typically people are inoculated against Rubella in the United States.

Contracture - Condition when muscles are continuously contracted and become fixed in position

Cyanosis - A physical symptom of lack of oxygen resulting in a blue tint to the skin or mucous membranes

Developmental Milestones - Anticipated or expected age at which children develop certain skills and/or abilities. Examples include walking, talking, toilet training, etc.

Diplegia - A type of Spastic Cerebral Palsy that affects the legs or lower extremities more severely than the upper extremities

Down Syndrome - A congenital disorder in which there is an extra chromosome present in the child that affects mental and physical development

Dysarthria - A speech disorder caused by paralysis, weakness or poor coordination of the muscles needed for speech

Dystocia - A difficult labor process

Epilepsy - A disorder of the nervous system resulting in episodic seizures

Erbs Palsy - Paralysis caused by injury to the nerves of the upper arm or brachial plexus, usually as the result of birth trauma

Fetal distress - The fetal reaction resulting from a lack of oxygen during the birth process. Deprivation of oxygen can cause brain damage or death.

Fetal Heart Monitor - An electronic device used to keep track of a baby's heart rate and the mother's uterus during labor

Forceps - A tool similar to tongs that is sometimes used during child birth to grasp the fetus's head and assist delivery

Gastronomy - A surgical opening in the stomach to allow for nourishment

Gastronomy Tube (G-Tube) - A tube inserted into the gastronomy through which nutrients are fed

Group B Strep - An infection that when present in the mother's vagina during childbirth can be passed to the baby can be potentially harmful

Heart Murmur - A noise produced by the heart caused by inconsistent or erratic blood flow

Hemianopia - Blindness in one half of the eye's visual field in one or both eyes

Hemiplegia - A type of Spastic Cerebral Palsy affecting one side of the body

Hypertonia - Increase in tightness of muscle tone

Hypotonia - Decrease in tightness of muscle tone

Hypoxia - Fetal distress or a lack of oxygen to the fetus during birth.

Hypoxic-ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) - A condition which occurs when the brain does not receive enough oxygen.

Induced Labor - A medical process that artificially begins child birth

Involuntary Movement - Motion or twitch that is not controlled by the brain. Frequent episodes of involuntary movement interfere with the body's ability to function.

Jaundice - A yellowish discoloration of the skin or membranes resulting from levels of bile pigments in the blood

Kernicterus -Severe jaundice in newborns resulting from high levels of bile pigment in the blood which can cause brain and spinal cord damage

Klumpke Palsy - Paralysis caused by injury to the nerves of the lower arm or brachial plexus, usually as the result of birth trauma

Malformation - A defect in the body caused by abnormal development prior to birth

Meningitis - Bacterial infection of the membranes in the spinal cord and brain

Mixed Cerebral Palsy or Mixed-Type Cerebral Palsy - A type of Cerebral Palsy characterized by tight muscle tone associated with Spastic Cerebral Palsy and involuntary muscle movement associated with Athetoid Cerebral Palsy

Muscle Tone - The amount of tension or resistance of movement in a muscle

Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) - A gastrointestinal disease that can affect premature babies in the days or weeks after birth producing infection and inflammation of the tissue in the small and large intestine

Neonatologist - A doctor who cares for premature or seriously ill babies.

Neuropraxia - Hand numbness or weakness resulting from damage to the shoulder (brachial plexus) during childbirth

Obstetrician (OB, OBGYN, OB/GYN) - A medical practitioner who specializes in the care of women during pregnancy and childbirth.

Oxygen deficiency - An insufficient flow of oxygen to the brain which can cause a brain injury

Paralysis - A total or partial loss of muscle function in the body

Parasis or Plegia - Terms used to describe paralysis associated with Cerebral Palsy

Paraplegia - A type of Spastic Cerebral Palsy that affects the legs or lower extremities

Pediatrician - A medical practitioner specializing in the care of infants and children

Placenta - The organ linking the baby to the mother's uterus which provides the fetus with nutrients and oxygen and provides for waste elimination

Premature Birth - A birth occurring prior to 37 weeks of pregnancy

Prenatal - Occurring prior to birth

Quadriplegia - A type of Spastic Cerebral palsy in which both the upper and lower extremities are affected by spasticity

Reflex - An automatic muscle response to stimulus

Rh Incompatibility - A condition that occurs when a mother has Rh negative blood and produces antibodies in response to the Rh positive blood of her fetus. These antibodies can attack the red blood cells of the fetus resulting in jaundice or low muscle tone in the child.

Seizure - Uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain that produces convulsions or changes in attention or behavior

Shoulder Dystocia - A condition occurring during childbirth where the baby's shoulder becomes lodged behind the mother's pubic bone. This can cause nerve damage in the shoulder area of a baby resulting in paralysis of muscles in hand, arm and/or shoulder.

Spastic Cerebral Palsy - A type of Cerebral Palsy resulting from increased muscle tension resulting in difficulty in controlling muscle movement

Spacticity - A state of increased tension in the muscles that usually results in rigid, inflexible muscles impairing movement

Strabismus - A condition also known as 'cross-eyes', or the inability to align the vision of both eyes on the same object at the same time

Trauma - Mental or physical injury suffered

Uterus - An organ in the female body where a fetus develops and is nourished prior to birth

Vacuum Extractor - A small rounded suction cup that is attached to the baby's head to aid in delivery by removing air from the suction cup, thus creating a vacuum, and then gently pulling the extractor

Ventouse - A vacuum device that is attached to a baby's head during child birth that assists in delivery when labor fails to progress

White Matter - The part of the Central Nervous System containing neurons that are the channels of communication between grey matters of the brain and the grey matter of the brain and the rest of the body. White matter abnormalities are often linked to Cerebral Palsy.