What is birth asphyxia?
Birth asphyxia, also called perinatal asphyxia or neonatal asphyxia, is a medical condition that happens when a baby doesn’t get enough oxygen and blood flow during childbirth.
This lack of oxygen can quickly affect the baby’s brain, heart, lungs, and other vital organs.
Without fast and appropriate treatment, birth asphyxia can lead to serious long-term complications, including seizures, developmental delays, and cerebral palsy (CP).
Birth asphyxia is one of the leading causes of cerebral palsy. The severity often depends on how long the baby went without oxygen and how quickly doctors responded.
Some cases of birth asphyxia are caused by sudden problems during labor, such as umbilical cord issues or prolonged delivery.
Not every baby with birth asphyxia will face permanent injury, but those with moderate or severe oxygen loss may experience lasting effects.
If medical negligence caused your baby to suffer oxygen loss at birth, resulting in long-term harm, financial assistance may be available through a birth injury lawsuit.
Some birth injury lawsuits award multimillion-dollar payouts, helping families cover medical care, therapy, and other expenses.
We partner with birth injury attorneys nationwide who have secured over $1 billion for families.
Find out if we can help your family, too. Get a free case review right now.
Top 10 facts on birth asphyxia
- Birth asphyxia affects about 2 out of every 1,000 full-term babies, but rates can be much higher in areas with limited medical care.
- Some cases of birth asphyxia are caused by medical errors, like delayed C-sections.
- Between 6% and 10% of cerebral palsy cases are caused by birth asphyxia.
- Around 30% of infants with birth asphyxia pass away within the first few days after birth.
- When asphyxia occurs during active labor, it is known as intrapartum asphyxia.
- About 15% of cerebral palsy cases in preterm infants were linked to suspected birth asphyxia.
- Preterm babies are biologically different and more vulnerable to brain damage from oxygen loss.
- Nearly 40% of preterm babies with suspected birth asphyxia in one study had brain bleeds called intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH).
- Placental abruption (separates from uterus) was the leading cause of asphyxia in one study.
- Preterm infants with asphyxia had a higher rate of spastic diplegia, a type of cerebral palsy.
Signs and symptoms of birth asphyxia
Recognizing the signs of perinatal asphyxia is critical, as immediate treatment can reduce the risk of long-term brain damage.
Symptoms may vary depending on how long the baby was without oxygen and how quickly treatment was provided. Even if signs seem mild at first, follow-up monitoring is crucial to detect any potential brain injury.
- Abnormal fetal heart rate during labor, which may signal distress
- Bluish or grayish skin color (called cyanosis), showing poor oxygen levels
- Lack of breathing or weak, irregular breathing at birth
- Low muscle tone, where the baby appears floppy or unresponsive
- Poor or absent reflexes, such as a weak suck or no startle response
- Seizures, which may begin within the first hours or days of life
A baby with birth asphyxia often needs urgent care right after delivery and may require a longer stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
What causes birth asphyxia?
Birth asphyxia can happen when something blocks or reduces a baby’s oxygen supply before, during, or just after birth.
Sometimes the cause of birth asphyxia is due to sudden complications that no one could have predicted. However, in other cases, warning signs are overlooked, or medical teams fail to respond promptly.
- Infections in the baby or mother that affect breathing or circulation
- Low oxygen levels in the mother’s blood, often due to anesthesia complications or health conditions
- Prolonged or difficult labor, especially when fetal distress is not properly managed
- Umbilical cord problems, like knots, compression, or a nuchal cord (wrapped around the baby’s neck)
- Uterine rupture, a rare but serious complication where the uterus tears during labor
If your baby experienced perinatal asphyxia and you have unanswered questions, our labor and delivery nurses are here to help.
There’s never any cost to talk with our team — connect with a registered nurse now.
Risk factors for birth asphyxia
Certain risk factors can increase the chances that a baby may experience birth asphyxia. These factors are often known before or during labor and should be carefully monitored by the medical team to help prevent birth injuries.
- Abnormal fetal position that complicates delivery and reduces oxygen flow
- High or low maternal blood pressure, which can affect blood flow to the baby
- History of birth asphyxia in a previous delivery
- Lack of prenatal care, which may allow complications to go unnoticed
- Low birth weight or high birth weight, increasing delivery risks
- Meconium-stained amniotic fluid (risk of meconium aspiration syndrome)
- Multiple gestation (twins or more), leading to cord or placental complications
- Older maternal age, which may raise the risk of pregnancy complications
- Preterm birth, especially before 37 weeks
- Shoulder dystocia (baby is lodged behind mother’s pelvis)
Despite known risk factors, doctors are trained to deliver babies safely and must take extra precautions when complications are present.
If they fail to act on warning signs or delay needed interventions, it may be considered medical malpractice.
Birth asphyxia and medical negligence
Some cases of birth asphyxia are unpreventable, even with the best medical care. However, others occur because a doctor or medical team failed to uphold the accepted standard of care, which means medical malpractice may have played a role.
- Delayed C-section or failure to perform a C-section when urgently needed
- Failure to monitor and respond to fetal distress, such as abnormal heart rate patterns
- Inadequate response to placental or umbilical cord problems
- Mismanagement of prolonged or difficult labor, increasing the risk of oxygen loss
When mistakes like these cause a baby to lose oxygen, the damage can be severe and permanent.
If your child’s condition could have been prevented, you may be able to take legal action through a birth injury lawsuit.
Get a free case review right now.
Long-term effects of birth asphyxia
When a baby doesn’t get enough oxygen at birth, the damage can affect multiple organs, not just the brain.
Generally, the long-term effects of oxygen loss depend on how severe the asphyxia was and how quickly treatment began.
- Developmental delays, such as trouble reaching milestones like sitting, crawling, or speaking
- Feeding difficulties, including trouble swallowing or poor weight gain
- Hearing loss caused by injury to the auditory nerves or brain
- Learning and behavior problems, which may not appear until preschool or school age
- Mobility issues, including poor coordination, muscle stiffness, or loss of motor function
- Seizure disorders, like epilepsy, which may continue throughout life
- Vision problems, including partial or complete vision loss
In the most serious cases, birth asphyxia causes permanent brain damage. In these cases, one of the most common outcomes is cerebral palsy.
Birth asphyxia and cerebral palsy
When a baby loses oxygen at birth, the brain is one of the first organs affected. If oxygen loss is severe or prolonged, brain cells can begin to die, particularly in areas that control movement, posture, and muscle tone.
This type of brain injury is known as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and is a leading cause of CP.
Cerebral palsy caused by perinatal asphyxia can range from mild to severe. Some children may have trouble walking or using their hands, while others may need lifelong care.
The most common type linked to birth asphyxia is spastic cerebral palsy, which causes stiff muscles and jerky movements.
Not all CP is caused by birth asphyxia, but research shows that a significant number of cerebral palsy cases are connected to oxygen loss during labor and delivery.
In many of those cases, the injury may have been preventable with faster decision-making or better monitoring during childbirth.
What to watch for: Signs of birth asphyxia and cerebral palsy
Signs of cerebral palsy may appear right away or develop over time. Some babies struggle to breathe or cry after birth, while others show delays in movement or muscle control in the weeks and months that follow.
The table below explains the signs of possible problems and what they could mean for your baby.
| When symptoms happen | What symptoms are | What they could mean |
|---|---|---|
| Right after birth | Baby not breathing, low Apgar scores, NICU transfer | Possible birth asphyxia — baby may not have gotten enough oxygen |
| First few days | Seizures, weak cry, poor muscle tone, feeding issues | Signs of HIE (brain injury from oxygen loss) |
| First few months | Missed milestones (not holding head up, stiff or floppy arms/legs) | Early signs of cerebral palsy |
| First year and beyond | Delays in sitting, crawling, or walking | CP diagnosis may come later, even though injury may have occurred at birth |
Diagnosing birth asphyxia
Doctors diagnose birth asphyxia based on what happens during delivery and how the baby responds after birth.
There is no single test. Instead, providers look for signs that the baby may have been deprived of oxygen before or during delivery.
- Apgar scores: Low scores at 1 and 5 minutes after birth may suggest poor breathing, heart rate, or muscle tone.
- Umbilical cord blood gas tests: These check for acid levels that show whether the baby experienced oxygen deprivation.
- Neurological exams: Doctors look for signs of brain injury, such as weak reflexes, poor muscle tone, or seizures.
- Brain imaging: MRI or ultrasound can reveal patterns of brain injury consistent with oxygen loss.
- Organ function tests: Abnormal liver, kidney, or heart function can indicate that multiple systems were affected.
Early diagnosis is critical so that treatment can begin as soon as possible. In some cases, the signs of birth asphyxia are missed or not taken seriously enough, which can delay care and increase the risk of permanent injury.
Birth asphyxia treatment options
Babies with birth asphyxia need immediate care to limit brain and organ damage. Treatment depends on how long the baby was without oxygen, how severe the symptoms are, and how quickly doctors respond after birth.
- Breathing support, such as oxygen, CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), or mechanical ventilation
- Fluids and nutrition, often through an IV, to stabilize blood sugar and hydration
- Inhaled nitric oxide, used in some cases to improve oxygen flow to the lungs
- Medication, including drugs to control seizures, blood pressure, or infection
- Monitoring, such as EEG (electroencephalogram), to check for seizures and brain activity
- Therapeutic hypothermia (cooling therapy) to slow brain injury in eligible newborns
- Treatments for organ dysfunction, including support for the heart, kidneys, or liver
Most babies with birth asphyxia are cared for in a NICU, where doctors can closely monitor their condition and respond quickly if complications arise. Early treatment can make a major difference in outcomes.
Compensation for birth asphyxia
When birth asphyxia is caused by medical negligence, families may be able to pursue compensation through a birth injury lawsuit.
Money from a birth injury settlement can help cover the cost of lifelong care, including therapy, medical equipment, home modifications, and lost future income.
The average birth injury settlement is over $1 million, though some cases may result in much higher amounts depending on the severity of the injury and the cost of ongoing care.
Our legal partners secured $5.1 million on behalf of a Texas child who experienced birth asphyxia.
If your child developed cerebral palsy or other long-term complications due to preventable perinatal asphyxia, you may be eligible for compensation from a lawsuit.
Get legal help for birth injuries
When negligence causes long-term harm, you shouldn’t be left to face the consequences alone. For many families, working with a skilled birth injury lawyer is the best path to a better future.
Compensation from a lawsuit can help cover the high cost of care, including hospital stays, therapy, medical equipment, and long-term support.
Knowing your child’s future is protected and justice has been served can also bring peace of mind to your family.
Cerebral Palsy Guide partners with top birth injury lawyers who can help families in all 50 states. So far, they’ve recovered over $1 billion for families affected by preventable birth injuries.
Call our team at (855) 220-1101 right now or get a free case review to find out your legal options.
