Birth defect or birth injury: What is the difference?
- Last Updated: April 24th, 2025
Birth defect or birth injury: What is the difference?
As an Ohio mom-to-be, you have every reason to believe that you will deliver a healthy baby when the time comes for him or her to be born.
The vast majority of Ohio pregnancies do indeed go well, and the vast majority of babies born in Ohio come into the world healthy.
Unfortunately, a very few suffer from birth defects or birth injuries.
Per FindLaw, statistics show that only 0.5% of babies born in the U.S. suffer from birth injuries, and only 7% suffer from birth defects.
Despite these low numbers, however, your world and that of your baby’s can turn upside down if (s)he becomes one of few instead of the many.
Birth defects
A birth defect usually results from your baby’s genetic makeup or an injury (s)he sustains prior to birth.
Sometimes the prescription drugs you take during your pregnancy can cause a birth defect, especially if you take one or more of the following:
- Ortho-Gyno, a birth control drug
- Bendectin, a nausea prevention drug
- Delalutin, a miscarriage prevention drug
The chemicals, called teratogens, these drugs contain can harm your unborn baby, causing a variety of birth defects.
Birth injuries
Unlike a birth defect, which occurs long before your baby’s actual birth, a birth injury happens while you are in labor and in the process of delivering your baby.
Usually, birth injuries occur when you develop complications during your labor and your OB/GYN must use such things as vacuum extraction, forceps, etc. to aid your baby’s birth.
The most prevalent birth injuries today include the following:
- Erb’s palsy
- Fractures of your baby’s shoulder(s), arm(s) or collarbone
- Swelling to your baby’s head and/or scalp
- Paralysis to your baby’s face
While you cannot change your baby’s genetic makeup, you can lessen his or her chances of having a birth defect or receiving a birth injury by taking exceptionally good care of yourself while pregnant.
Make regular pre-natal visits to your doctor and follow his or her recommendations.
If (s)he should recommend that you begin a prescription drug regimen, however, be sure you understand all the risks as well as the benefits.
Although you should not construe this information as legal advice, it can help you better understand the difference between birth defects and birth injuries.
About the Author: Frank Piscitelli
As a first-generation Italian in the United States, Frank is no stranger to tough times.
His father’s family moved to Cleveland from Italy on May 22, 1958, with a few articles of clothing, some personal items and very little money.
His family shared a home with three other related families but happily worked long hours doing jobs that involved physical labor, just to put food on the table.
There was the promise of hope and opportunity, which was missing before his family moved here.
Member of the Ohio State Bar Association since 1993. With 30+ years of legal experience, Attorney Frank Piscitelli has secured over $55 million in compensation for Ohio injury victims, car accident victims, and surviving family members of Ohio wrongful death victims.
Legally Reviewed
This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy and clarity by the team of writers and attorneys at Piscitelli Law Firm and is as accurate as possible. This content should not be taken as legal advice from an attorney. If you would like to learn more about our owner and experienced Ohio personal injury lawyer, Frank Piscitelli, you can do so here.
Fact-Checked
Piscitelli Law Firm does everything possible to make sure the information in this article is up to date and accurate. If you need specific legal advice about your case, contact us. This article should not be taken as advice from an attorney.
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