Baby suffered stroke during delivery

Hi again,
I'm not sure what MCA region is.
We live in Maryland, Montgomery County and they have this wonderful Infant and Toddler's Program that works with families that have kids with special needs. They came to see us when our son was exactly one month old and he qualified for the program because of the weakness in his arm, but also because of the nature of his injury. We started with the OT/PT (the same person in the beginning) and she was coming every two weeks. Depending on the need they could be coming few times per week if necessary. It's so unfortunate that they don't do the same in NY. They have also sent me the Infant Massage specialist and she was coming every couple of weeks as well. However, I'm sure you can find classes on Infant Massage everywhere. I was interested in it even before this happened and when I was checking pretty much every hospital in this area had classes for Infant Massage. The reason I didn't take the class before I delivered is because you actually need to bring your baby with you. I'm sure you won't have any problems finding those kind of classes in NY. I also bought this book on Amazon Infant Massage--Revised Edition: A Handbook for Loving Parents by Vimala Schneider McClure, that came highly recommended and I've used some additional exercises and used them with my baby.
Now regarding the fisting that might happen, that doctors probably told you about, it happened to us in the hospital, during the first week. I just kept massaging his thumb out during each breastfeeding session and thanks God it went away within few days and it never came back. The most important thing is to watch it closely and if you notice that he is starting to put his thumb in and that it is becoming stiff just keep massaging the thumb out, gently of course, and do it as often as possible.
It's so encouraging that he's doing so well during his tummy time, that he's turning his head from one side to another. My son would turn his head to the right side but not to the left as much.
I know that a lot of things you'll hear won't make much sense. That is why I started looking for other doctors and talking to as many people as I could. I was constantly trying to find answers and hope. I was going crazy myself and although my son is doing so well now I'm still not relaxed and I think about what happened every single day. Both me and my husband are scared for life by this experience. I was always saying that I want to have at least three kids and to have them close in age. I don't think I am going to have more kids now, because I don't think I'd be able to go anything similar again in this lifetime.
Also, I wanted to ask you about your delivery and everybody else on this forum. I am positive that the medical staff is responsible to what happened to my son. I started pushing my baby out at 7 am and at that moment they told me that my baby has a lot of hair. They let me keep pushing until 11:42 when they finally pulled him out with a vacuum. His head was going in and out of the birthing canal for almost five hours and that can't be good. Also, the doctor left us couple of hours into delivery and came back at 11:30. She was shocked when she realized that I haven't delivered yet, she pulled out the vacuum, without even asking me and my husband if she has our permission to use it. She put it on my son's head and pulled so hard that the vacuum came off of his head with a huge thump, then she put it on again and pulled him out. The place where she put the vacuum is on the sam side where he had a stroke. Everybody in the hospital kept telling us that the vacuum can't cause a stroke, but I've learnt later that that's what they tell you in the hospital so you wouldn't sue them. I was so disappointed. I never considered, even for a second to sue anyone, but I was so disappointed with the lack of care I got in this hospital. I also do not trust doctors that much anymore. For the most of them it's all about collecting as much as possible from the insurance companies. Did you know for example that they get more from the insurance company if the baby is delivered naturally then by C-section?
I understand that some of strokes happen in the uterus and same have medical cause, but some, like my sons, where there's no medical cause, they say they can't explain how it happened. It's the delivery trauma, I'm positive.
I'd love to hear about other people's experiences.

Hey everybody been reading all ur comments and just blown away. I have a gorgeous nearly 9mth old baby boy and we have noticed for the past few months he isn't hitting his milestone i also raised concerns of his left side weaker then his right... Was sent to a physiotherapist and was told his only has 10% of his development where he should have 50% to be in normal range... I am waiting for another appointment as i want to raise concerns of a possible stroke during birth... During my birth i lost alot of blood which resulted in me having a blood transfusion early the next day... The first night my son wasn't latching on so had to express and feed via a syringe (i breastfeed) to get him to eat... Also during birth they lost his heart beat so had to put a monitor on  his head and then his heart rate started to drop which resulted in vacuum delivery.... His only just started to sit (mind u i have to put him in the sitting position) and he cant go from belly to sitting or sitting to belly... He is also not properly crawling but he does move around like army crawling but  mind u don't use his left leg only his right so his left leg sorta drags... He will be 1 in 3mths so just wondering if any of you have had the same symptoms or if ur in the same situation? Is it possible he has or am i reading to much into it?

Hi Verine,

Im so sorry about your baby, I do know how you are feeling right now and you have to be strong and fight for all the therapies that the baby needs and should be getting.

My son also had a stroke during my delivery. It was so hard to deal with since it was my first baby as well. My son went through so much in the beginning, the first yr was the hardest. At two months old he began to get seizures and this went on for the first yr. He was later diganosis with Epilepsy and CP and Developemental Delay, and Speech Delay. I was devasted, the drs were telling me my son was not going to be able to do a lot of things.

But with my faith and lots of prayer, my son is now 9 yrs old, and he has come a long way. He still gets seizures once and a while but they are under control with medications. He still has a the speech delay, but he is saying a few words much clearer now, but he does communicate using BABY SIGNS.. Everyday is a new day, and everything he does, I applaud and encourge him.. You become not only a mother but a therapist as well, and a dr even at times..

My son has been through so much, but I never gave up, I made sure since he was two months old to have all the therapies that he needed till this day, he has Speech, Physical and Occupational Therapists, and he gets therapy at school as well..

My advice to you is please get all the therapies now that the baby is still young, and continue with therapies, it is very important for the baby to get developed, no matter how long it takes each milestone should be reached, and that's why the therapy should be given..

I wish you the very best for you and your baby, dont give up.. and look into early intervention, and early steps..

hi my baby brother was born with a stroke in utero too. im sure my mom knows the pain and suffering that you feel now. he is 2 yrs old now and walking and doing fine. it couldve been a blood clot to the brain. i hope this helps. im sure your baby will get better soon.

Do you know what caused it. I know a girl that had her baby and she had a stroke and I was just wondering why or how she could have one so early in life.

Lack of oxygen going to the brain is the cause. My son also suffered a stroke during delivery and the midwife failed to deliver life saving oxygen to my son when he was delivered. He has speech and language disorders (aphasia & apraxia) because of it. Please get speech therapy NOW from a good speech language pathologist who will work one on one with your child (not play therapy, as the child gets older). This is critical to overcome the motor planning problems. Feel free to e-mail me if you would like to chat or find me on facebook under my son's name: Charlie Hart TenEyck

hi. you know what? my situation is like yours cause my son is 11 month and he cant crawl or sit. and now dr. said that he cant see in future. he is a premie of 25 weeks.

f My lil girl also had a stroke at birth they first noticed her havin seizures then she was tranfered by helicopter to ucsf i was heart broken even more when they said i couldnt go on the helicopter with her so i had to go on a 5 hr drive to the hospital she was t once i got there n saw her i jst couldnt help it i jst cried when they told me she had a stoke when they did n MRI they told me so many things that could happen to her , yes she has physical, occupational n speech therapy now n i was worried about her not bein able to walk cuz she never crawled at all but im so happy on how well shes doin now the only problem shes havin is with her right side she has weakness and she is using foot braces n a hand braces as well shes runnin around everywhere she is now 2 yrs ols n ppl say that it doesnt even look like she had a stroke cuz she doin very well but once they pay attention they do notice her weakness ....i know how u feel n its definatley scary when they tell u all the possiblities that could happen n they did say she could still have another seizure i hope not though

Hi everyone,

My name is Elise and I am 31 years old and I had a stoke before or after birth.  I was just looking and came to yoursite and saw that I not the only person who had a stoke as baby. 

I didn't  know until I went to a conference for NODCC were I learned I had stoke before or after birth.  NODCC stand for National Organization for Disorders of the Corpus Callosum.  These kids and young adults have no Corpus Callosum or parts of it.  My mom had brain scam and a doctor when 12 years old didnt really know what it was only that they told my mom I would just get better.  I have got better, but my mom helped me to get beeter. My mom took me to a program for dyslexic when I has around 12, wear it help me with reading.  While I was there a tutoring that was in college was studying about the Corpus Callosum and gave it to my mom wear my mom realize Iwas alike these children and adults Through years my mom kept helping me and took me to doctors and put me on ADD medication  where it helps from high trough now.  My mom found a  conference for NODCC where I fit in because these kid and young adults were so many way alike even though when the doctor who told me that it was stoke that cause me 20% Corpus Callosum deformed. 

I might had time that were a stuggle, but I did doalot that I accomplished.  I gradeuated coollege with AS in Art and BA in Humaties.  I have a part time job working at aftercare program.  I very artistic.  I am good with math and still working on reading.   I drive and have a boyfriend

 

I am plain to go back to that conference for NODCC because alot new friends and I think help myself and them at the sametime and that make good about myself.

 

I want say sorry to the parents who have lost there baby at birth because of a stroke, and hope you know that your babies thank you for giving them a chance in  like.  Also the parents and who had stokes know that you a stoke can't stop you with living as normal as you can.  I am proof of it.  I might have struggle but I remind my self off all the thing I have done in life.  

If anyone have any question look me up on facebook. 

 

Hey, I'm sorry to hear about your little one. Ours was born on 20th Oct 2012 and she also had a stroke during birth. We only know she had one because of the subsequent seizures. Have you found out what region of the brain your child's stroke was in? that way you can look into worse case scenarios as I have been just in case. But babies brains are very plastic as for the first 2 years of their lives they're still forming brand new connections and have an amazing ability to wire around any damaged areas. Please let me know what goes on with your little one as ours are around the same age.The reason for our one's stroke (they think) was that she was born face up and her head got caught coming out and she wasn't breathing. But to be honest it all could have been prevented - the start of my labour was my waters breaking and there was mecronium in the waters, yet labour was allowed to continue for 15 hours. I think that they should have delivered our little one via emergency c-section, that way she'd never have suffered through this. Instead she was delivered naturally which was the cause of all of this.I hope everything is going well with your little one, ours is developing so far just as any other newborn and we're staying very positive. The thing I keep thinking of is how adults can make amazing full recoveries, even the elderly can - so there's a lot of hope for a little one like ours. Please feel free to contact me ANY time, I'd be happy to hear from you (I think I'm the only person with my full name on facebook). xxxx

I had a stroke two days after birth, I was completely paralyzed for the first year of my life. The Doctors told my mother I would never walk or talk. However, We are guessing with this but due to my brother always playing with me while I was unable to move stimulated something and I came out of the Paralysis. I have no side effects as an adult except for random numbness in my right hand.

our grandson had a stroke at 4months old, one now has epilepsy and is on meds fr brain boosts  and the seizures. He gets therapy 3 times a week and this is all in Mexico. His right side is slow and he makes up for his by using his left side for everything. He is 2 years old now and crawls around like crazy, he walks along the furniture. He laughs out loud and his smile is very infectious. He hadA new med pumped into his system on Tuesday to minimize the intensity of his seizures. He has them whilst he crawls along and it is sad to see this happen.  I am going to be spending a week with him and babysitting. I will be doing some exercise with him, one is called the cross over and I hope to get him to be a little sturdier on his legs. His doc thinks he is jus very unsure of himself that is why he does not walk yet. In CanAda there is an op to just about get rid of the seizures and we hope tht can be done when he goes to CAnada soon.  Does anyone know of any other exercises

yes, my son his turning 17 months and he cant sit or crawl yet and the physio said i must support him when he sit.

your not alone on this.

thanks

Hi dijana15,

We just found out that our daughter suffered a stroke before, during or after birth. She is now 9 months old and we are now getting started with the OT & PT. I am also doing the infant massages and any other activity that can be useful to her recovery. How are you and your family doing? I would love to get an update on your son now.

I had the same thing happen to my son at birth! So traumatic I'm still coming to terms with it and he is 6 months old. I would give you my phone number if we could talk I can't seem to find peace from writing about it like this.