Birth injury to spine or spinal cord

**Definition:** Injury to the spinal cord incurred during delivery from excessive traction or rotation, principally occurring during breech and rotational forceps during vertex deliveries

**Long definition:** Injury to the spinal cord occurs during delivery from excessive traction or rotation, principally occurring during breech and rotational forceps during vertex deliveries. Other predisposing factors include hyperextension of the fetal head, external cephalic version, congenital vertebral anomalies, prematurity, precipitate delivery, asphyxia, and congenital hypotonia. Symptoms of spinal cord injury are often delayed. Injury usually involves cervical and upper thoracic segments in cephalic delivery and more caudal lesions in breech deliveries. The difference in the laxity of the spinal cord and vertebral column predisposes the more inelastic spinal cord to trauma.