I remember a lecture at uni also saying that up to 75% of newborns have tiny,
seemingly harmless, haemorrage near the brain or in between any of the
membranes. It did make me wonder if there were any implications for the Vit K
debate.
Suzi
----- Original Message -----
From: Ken Ward
To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au
Sent: Saturday, February 03, 2007 9:37 PM
Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] Article about natural birth and brain haemorrhage
It has shown that the bleeds can be considered 'normal' so may help to reduce
legal action when a child does not develop normally.
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Alesa Koziol
Sent: Saturday, 3 February 2007 5:41 PM
To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au
Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Article about natural birth and brain haemorrhage
Pardon my scepticism but what exactly did this "research" prove? With so
many variables I am surprised that any conclusions could be drawn!
Alesa
Haven't they got anything better to research??!!
Helen
http://www.guardian.co.uk/medicine/story/0,,2001561,00.html
One in four natural births causes brain haemorrhage
Ian Sample
Tuesday January 30, 2007
The Guardian
Giving birth naturally increases the risk of minor brain haemorrhages in
newborn babies, according to a study. Brain scans of babies aged between one
and five weeks showed small ruptures in blood vessels in or around the brain
are common, affecting one in four children born naturally.
Babies delivered by caesarean section showed no signs of even minor
bleeding.
In most cases, the haemorrhages are harmless and heal naturally, but
larger ruptures can affect brain development, leading to seizures, or problems
with learning or coordination.
Doctors at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, used magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) to scan 88 healthy newborns. Of the 65 delivered
naturally, 17 had intracranial haemorrhages and seven had ruptures in at least
two separate regions.
John Gilmore, a professor of psychiatry and lead scientist on the study,
said the bleeding was not caused by the size of the baby or the baby's head,
the duration of labour, or the use of vacuum or forceps to assist delivery.
"The bleeds are probably caused by pressure on the skull during delivery," he
said.
The scientists noticed the high rate of haemorrhages while conducting
scans to assess brain development in children perceived to be at high risk of
mental disorders. "What we've shown is that if you get these bleeds, you don't
have to think something has gone wrong with the delivery, because these are
common," said Prof Gilmore, whose study is published in Radiology.
The team will conduct further scans when the babies are one and two years
old. This may help doctors assess future cases of "shaken baby syndrome", where
injuries to a baby are contested. In some cases, parents or guardians claim
brain injuries have been inflicted naturally at birth. The scans may reveal
whether small haemorrhages at birth grow to become more threatening, or
gradually heal with time.
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