Vacuum Extractor Birth Injuries

Fact Checked

Vacuum extractor deliveries can result in birth injuries. There are important reasons a doctor may choose this procedure, but there are also risks. Vacuum extraction can cause brain damage, which can lead to a variety of disabilities, including cerebral palsy.

What Is Vacuum Extraction Delivery?

Vacuum extraction is a strategy doctors can use to expedite the delivery of a baby. A doctor only uses a vacuum extractor if they feel it is necessary for the safety of the mother and baby. A vacuum extractor can lead to birth injuries if misused.[1]

This procedure uses a vacuum and suction to guide the baby out of the birth canal:

• To use vacuum extraction, a cup is attached to the baby’s head.
• A vacuum pump then produces suction, and the doctor uses a handle on the device to pull the baby out.
• The doctor typically combines the forces of the mother’s contraction with the pulling motion of the vacuum.

What Are the Risks of Using Vacuum Extraction?

Using suction from a vacuum extractor to help guide the baby from the birth canal may help prevent the need for a cesarean section and get the baby delivered sooner to avoid certain health problems. Still, it can also pose risks of its own. The risks to the mother include:

• Tears and damage to the tissue in the lower genital tract
• Pain after labor and delivery
• Blood loss and subsequent anemia
• Muscle and ligament weakness around the pelvic organs
• Urinary or fecal incontinence, which may be temporary or permanent

Vacuum extraction can cause complications in the baby, too:

• Bleeding and wounds on the scalp
• Stretching of the nerves along the neck, which can cause Erb’s palsy or a brachial plexus injury
• Bleeding under the skin or in the brain
• Bleeding in the eyes
• A skull fracture
• Neonatal jaundice
• Brain damage, which may lead to permanent disability

Why Do Doctors Use Vacuum Extractors?

Vacuum extraction aids childbirth, and a doctor may use it for several reasons. Generally, suction is used when labor isn’t progressing or there is an urgent need to deliver the baby, either for the health of the mom or the child.[2]

When appropriately performed in the right situations, vacuum extraction is less risky than a cesarean section. Some of the specific reasons this procedure may be used include:

• The mother has a health issue. For instance, if the mother has a heart condition and the doctor is concerned that she is putting too much stress on her heart by pushing. Even if she does not have a specific health problem, when the mother is exhausted from pushing, vacuum extraction can help.
• The baby’s heartbeat is abnormal. If the doctor notices something unusual in the baby’s heartbeat, it may be important to deliver immediately. In that case, vacuum extraction can speed up the process.
• Labor isn’t progressing. If labor is not progressing, despite the mother pushing, she may need assistance. This point is typically reached after two to three hours of pushing and no progression for the first delivery, and one to two hours with no progression for a woman who has given birth previously.

When Vacuum Extraction Should Not Be Used

Vacuum extraction can be safe, but there are times and situations in which it is generally not recommended:

• The cup has to be attached to the baby’s head, so if the head cannot be found, this method won’t work.
• Vacuum extraction shouldn’t be applied if the head is not far enough down in the birth canal.
• It should also not be used if the mother is less than 34 weeks pregnant.
• If the baby has a known condition that weakens the bones or that may cause bleeding, vacuum extraction is too risky. It may cause dangerous bleeding or broken bones in the baby.
• Another reason not to use vacuum extraction and perform a cesarean section delivery as an alternative is if the size of the baby is a concern. The baby may be too large to fit through the birth canal.

Injuries and Complications Caused by Vacuum Extraction

The risks of vacuum extraction delivery include the possibility of injuries or complications for the mother or baby. Some of these are mild and temporary, but some can be significant and permanent:

Potential injuries to the baby include:[3]

• Caput succedaneum, a temporary bump on the baby’s head
• Scalp laceration
• Cephalohematoma, pooling of blood under the scalp
• Brachial plexus injury

Because brain damage is a risk of vacuum extraction, a baby may develop cerebral palsy after this type of delivery. 

The most common injury in mothers is a second-degree perineal tear.

Examples of Vacuum Extraction Birth Injuries

In a case from 2014, a jury awarded a family $55 million after their baby suffered irreversible damage during delivery due to decisions made by the delivering doctor.

The baby was showing signs of fetal distress, the parents claimed, but the doctor did not notice them until the baby had already been deprived of oxygen.[4]

The mother then struggled to deliver the baby, who was large, and the doctor used vacuum extraction instead of a cesarean section to assist the delivery. This, the parents claimed, caused further oxygen deprivation. The baby developed cerebral palsy as a result of brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen.

In another case, a 12-year-old boy was awarded $4 million for the permanent brain damage he suffered after his doctor used a vacuum extractor during his delivery.

The mother and her attorneys found several faults with the doctor’s decisions, including a failure to order a cesarean section because of her small pelvis.

The doctor used vacuum extraction instead, without the mother’s permission, and when the fetus’s location was unclear. As a result, the device was not placed on the baby correctly. He ended up with brain damage and needs support for the rest of his life.

What to Do if Your Child Was Injured By Vacuum Extraction

If your child suffered brain damage or some other type of birth injury as a result of the use of vacuum extraction during your delivery, your doctor might be guilty of malpractice. A birth injury lawyer can help you determine if you have a case and if your doctor is to blame.

Your child may need care and support into adulthood, which can be expensive. You may be entitled to compensation either through a settlement or a jury award in a trial.