January Is National Birth Defects Awareness Month

National Birth Defects Awareness Month is an opportunity to learn more about birth defects, their causes, and ways to support affected families. While birth defects remain common, raising awareness can make a meaningful difference. Learn how you can get involved and help improve care and resources for those impacted.

What Are Birth Injuries and Defects?

Birth injuries include any harm that comes to a baby during the labor and delivery process. There are many types of birth injuries, with cerebral palsy being one of the most common.

Birth defects develop during pregnancy, often before labor, and can be caused by a range of factors, including genetic issues, environmental influences, or unknown causes.

While birth injuries typically result from physical trauma during delivery, birth defects may or may not have an identifiable cause.

The causes of birth injuries vary, ranging from health complications that worsen conditions to medical errors. Mistakes during delivery can have devastating consequences and may lead to medical malpractice lawsuits.

Medical negligence means that health care professionals failed to provide proper care. This can happen during labor and delivery in several ways, like failing to monitor fetal heart rate or delaying a timely cesarean section (C-section) when needed.

If your child was harmed at birth, it’s important to determine whether it was preventable. You could be eligible to take legal action, which can mean getting financial compensation for medical care and other costs. Get started with a free case review.

Understanding the Most Common Birth Injuries

Despite advancements in medical care, both birth injuries and birth defects remain significant concerns in the U.S.

Every 4.5 minutes, a baby is born with a condition that affects the structure and function of their body, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Types of birth injuries vary depending on the cause, location, and severity. These injuries can lead to long-term effects for both the child and their family.

Here are some common birth injuries and complications:

• Brain damage
• Cerebral palsy
• Erb’s palsy
• Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)
• Intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD)

While those are among the more common birth injuries, there are many others. In many cases, babies born with birth injuries like cerebral palsy will require lifetime care.

Getting Involved This National Birth Defects Awareness Month

The theme for National Birth Defects Awareness Month in 2025 is Every Journey Matters, celebrating the uniqueness of each individual living with a birth defect.

Even if you don’t know anyone affected, there are ways you can help spread awareness.

Tips for getting involved in National Birth Defects Awareness Month include:

• Advocate for the inclusion of children with birth defects.
• Attend events that help promote research into birth defects.
• Donate time or money to help families who are impacted.
• Educate yourself and others about birth defects and their causes.
• Share information online with the hashtags #NBDAM and #EveryJourneyMatters.

Anything you can do to spread awareness in your community makes a difference in increasing research and education.

Supporting Families Affected by Birth Defects and Birth Injuries

Both birth injuries and birth defects can present significant challenges for families, not only emotionally but also financially. Raising awareness is a key step in educating others about these conditions.

National Birth Defects Awareness Month is the perfect time to get involved, and help spread awareness of birth injuries and birth defects. Every effort contributes to educating others about these life-changing conditions.

The Birth Injury Justice Center is committed to supporting families affected by preventable harm. If your child has a condition you believe could have been avoided, we may be able to help.

Call us today at (800) 914-1562 or get a free case review to learn more about your options.