Facial Paralysis
The birth of your new baby should be a joyful time. However, birth injuries can occur during or right after delivery which can endanger the health of your precious newborn. Sadly, many of these injuries are completely preventable with a skilled, knowledgeable obstetrician and medical team.
When doctors do not perform their tasks with their expected level of skill, or if they act rashly or with too much force, it can leave your baby with injuries-some permanent. If your obstetrician or nursing staff has acted negligently and injured your baby, contact a Philadelphia birth injury attorney from the experienced firm of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. today at 215-329-3511.
The Causes of Facial Paralysis
Facial movement is considered a voluntary action. Babies can lose the ability to move their faces if the seventh cranial nerve, or the facial nerve, is compressed right before or during delivery. There are several different causes of this condition, including:
- The use of forceps
- Large baby size (macrosomia)
- Long pregnancy or labor
- Use of an epidural
- Medication that causes stronger contractions
Symptoms of Facial Paralysis
Obviously, a baby is unable to tell you if he or she has nerve damage. However, if you suspect that your child has suffered from a compressed seventh cranial nerve, look for the following signs:
- One eyelid does not close
- Lower face seems uneven
- Complete paralysis on one side of the face
- Mouth does not move evenly
Contact Us
Birth trauma can cause nerve damage to your baby, which may permanently affect his or her facial control. For more information regarding facial paralysis and other birth injuries, contact the Philadelphia birth injury lawyers from Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 215-329-3511 today.