According to 2006 statistics, an average of 1 in 3 pregnant women delivered their children through cesarean sections. This is compared to the 1 in 5 women who delivered through c-section a decade ago.

There are conflicting arguments that both support and oppose an increase in c-sections. Supporters site the decrease in possible birth defects and birth injuries that can result from vaginal deliveries. Birth injuries can result in life-long disability such as cerebral palsy or death of the infant or mother.

Those who oppose an increase in c-sections say that the recovery time is extended and that c-sections increase risks during subsequent pregnancies, such as uterine rupture and placenta previa.

One major cause of the increase in c-sections is rising medical malpractice insurance. Doctor’s may pay over $100,000 a year for medical malpractice insurance. This number can rise dramatically if the doctor is sued for birth injuries, regardless of whether or not the doctor is found liable.

The risk of medical malpractice suits drops dramatically if there is no delivery.

Birth injury attorneys are currently working on cases in which life-long disability has resulted from medical malpractice.

A new cooling therapy to help newborns with brain damage is being used at Children’s Hospital in New England. The hospital began using the treatment in July 2007 and has used it on seven newborns so far.

The therapy involves using an inexpensive hypothermia treatment. Doctors claim that the cooling treatment may help to minimize or completely prevent brain damage in newborns that were deprived of oxygen due to birth trauma.

The cooling treatment involves wrapping the infants in a cooling blanket within six hours of their injury. This drops their temperature to 92.3 degrees Fahrenheit. They are kept at the cooler temperature for 72 hours.

The medical director of the Children’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Dr. Anne Hansen, claims that the treatment has been very successful. The doctor explains that the treatment works by cooling the newborn’s brain, which slows down the metabolic needs and protects the infant’s brain from damage.

Hansen explains that brain exams are conducted on the infants before, during and after the treatments to monitor their progress. The neurology clinic at Children’s Hospital will follow the babies as they mature to determine the long-term effects of the treatment.

Birth trauma attorneys are currently working on cases that involve the serious and long-term injuries that result from medical negligence during a child’s birth.

A report concerning pollution in the Great Lakes region has become the object of dispute among experts. The report was commissioned in 2001 by the International Joint Commission.

The International Joint Commission is an independent organization that was established in order to resolve the disputes that arise between Canada and the United States concerning the quality of the water that borders the two countries.

The report in question is titled "Public Health Implications of Hazardous Substances in the 26 U.S. Great Lakes Areas of Concerns."

The report is based on studies conducted by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, which is a part of the Department of Health and Human Services. The studies focus on the possible health effects of hazardous chemicals in and around the 26 lakes that border the United States and Canada.

New technology was used during the study which analyzed statistical information about infant mortality and health problems. It was noted that there were higher rates of infant mortality in 21 of the 26 areas studied.

Higher rates of low birth rate were found in 6 of the 26 areas and higher rates of premature births were found in 4 of the areas. Higher rates of breast, colon and lung cancer were also documented.

The report has been withheld from release. The Institute of Medicine has been asked to referee the situation. The Institute of Medicine is a governmental medical advising organization and will issue a final report concerning the study at the end of June.

Birth trauma attorneys are currently working on cases of serious injuries caused during premature birth.