Oxygen lack at birth. Mental health consequences?

[Milkdrops]

Ok its like this I have been suffering from inferiority thought patterns and big lack of self esteem since day 1 and there is no real reason why its been like this as I am not different in anyway (except mentally) yet all my life have never beleived in myself at all its like I was born with it or maybe somewhere later along the line I was traumatized by someone or something and it altered my thought process and self worth yet I cant renember specifically anything that bad that did happen.

The question I wanted to ask was about problems at birth and how and what level they might effect one mentally. We all know in extreme cases that lack of oxygen can permanently damage babys weither they end up a vegatable or other various phsysical problems but in my case I was told by my mother that there was mild problems with me getting oxygen during birth but oviously wasnt serious enough to make me end up a vegatable or whatever yet I wondering if that could perhaps do some mild damage mentally i.e effect ones mind by ruining certain parts of the brain that control feelings about yourself and depression and happiness etc. sort of like a very mild form of brain damage. Does anyone know anything about this type of thing and how It could potentially harm a baby. It might just be wrong but its just something I gotta ask about just so I can get some answers. Your views or facts or whatever would be appreciated. Thx.

 

[i_am_not_here]

I would be interested to learn this too. I was a "breach" birth, and had my umbilicle (sp?) cord wrapped around my neck (how appropriate). I too have always felt inferior and that no-one ever notices, or ever would notice me.

 

[TheBLA]

All I know is that I was born premature and was very weak, on the verge of death when I was born. Perhaps I also had trouble getting some oxygen or maybe something else that has led me to be so different from everyone else as well?

 

[Unregistered578907]

You can have an MRI done of your brain and it might tell you about the blood flow and any damaged parts of the brain. I'm thinking you're probably okay but what do I know. Take care.

 

[i_am_not_here]

I had an MRI when I was younger. Certainly nothing was mentioned back then.

 

[Unregistered999]

A baby can live for around 3 minutes without oxygen after it's born with no ramifications. Any longer without oxygen and brain injury may occur but on a more severe level than you are referring to (cerebal palsy ect). It's unlikely to be a lack of oxygen at birth causing your feelings.

There is evidence, however, that maternal seperation and isolation, and repetative pain experienced as an infant may affect how the brain develops and contribute to abnormal development and behaviour. Although I would class this as disorders like ADHD, stress disorders and severe anxiety leading to impaired social skills and patterns of self-destructive behaviour. I'm not sure this would apply to inferiority complexes or lack of self esteem.

 

[Sadeyes]

The best way to have some of these questions resolved, is to discuss them with a neurologist. S/he can do a MRI or a brain mapping (a deeper scan), however, there are lesions that cannot be seen even at that level...I have worked in pediatrics for 30 yrs, and i am still so very surprised how severe neonatal damage can be overcome (have designed developmental NICUs), but soft neurologicial signs (LD, ADHD, LLD, Hyperactivity) still have baffled the scientific world...please speak to a MD and see what s/he says...

 

[i_am_not_here]

A baby can live for around 3 minutes without oxygen after it's born with no IMMEDIATELY VISIBLE AND IDENTIFIABLE ramifications.

My own emphasis added to emphasise something.

 

[Unregistered999]

My own emphasis added to emphasise something.

All babies are born without oxygen. Cutting the cord cuts off the oxygen supply. That can take up to three minutes. So if what you say is true then everybody would feel these feelings of low self worth.

 

[i_am_not_here]

No baby is born without oxygen. All babies are born without being able to breath for the first few moments in their "new" environment, but they most certainly do have oxygen. I don't think anyone really wants to get into dissociation curves of foetal haemoglobin or the effects of a higher afinity for oxygen on the baby's oxygen uptake.

What about breech births where the newborn has the umbilical cord wrapped around their neck? The duration of birthing may well be normal, and all other conditions are normal... but what effects would the lack of oxygen to the brain have on the child?

 

[simon]

asked my mum (whos a nurse) and a baby can breathe on its own when born even before its cord is cut
when you're born you're brain developes and learns its surroundings and its place in the world and who you are and everything in the first 9-12 months of your life, i have no self esteem and feel alien and have been ill since i was born because my brain didnt learn properly when i was born
but...
different people may have different reasons for no self esteem, best thing i can think of is see your dr, be honest, tell him as much as you can and he should be able to help.

 

[Unregistered999]

No baby is born without oxygen. All babies are born without being able to breath for the first few moments in their "new" environment, but they most certainly do have oxygen. I don't think anyone really wants to get into dissociation curves of foetal haemoglobin or the effects of a higher afinity for oxygen on the baby's oxygen uptake.

Hence why I said that babies can live without an oxygen supply for up to three minutes without any ramifications. Although, compared to the lung the placental gaseous exchange is inefficient, certain factors as the feotus grows come into play to ensure an adequate oxygen supply to the baby. Obviously the baby still has oxygen in it's system when it's delivered....meaning it has an internal supply. Once that runs out and if they still do not have an external supply then damage may start to occur, the severity depending on how long they go without. Perhaps I should have emphasised that I was referring to an external supply of oxygen when I said that all babies are born without oxygen.

NB: I am not an idiot. Please do not try to make me look like one.

As for breech births, brain damage can occur either from a lack of oxygen (due to a cord prolapse or cord compression) or from trauma (sudden compression and decompression of the baby's head as it passes through the pelvis). But you probably know that already.

I don't think a mild lack of oxygen at birth will cause any kind of low self esteem/self worth feelings. Those are things that are learned during the first few year of childhood. As I said in my first post there is evidence to show that certain factors affecting a baby's first year of life may influence the development of stress disorders and the like but oxygen deprivation is not one of them.

 

[Unregistered1000000]

After a suicide attempt I spoken to numerous members of the psych team at the hospital and they all told me that it is possible that my birth effected the way I think. I was born with the cord round my neck and a hole in the heart due to lack of oxygen. As a result of this they believe that it has given me dyslexia dyspraxia depression and a need to control everything. They believe that it damaged some brain cells and caused my brain to be 'wired' up differently to the norm.

 

[johnnysays]

I was premature 3 months. Held back 3 years. But there're plenty of successful people who were premature, so you can't blame lack of self esteem on that. I also have never had good self esteem. I had a rough time growing up. Couldn't fit in. As a result of not being able to fit in I got teased a lot. That led to me just giving up completely. I still went to school and even to college. But inside I had given up. I had isolated myself from others since grade school. I think that when you isolate yourself it just worsens the anxiety. You can't build up social skills and/or thick skin if you're locked away from other people. I can feel good about myself sometimes. I always feel better when I make things. I don't know whether this feeling that I'll never measure up to others is just temporary or something I know deeply about myself that I don't presently understand. Anyway, don't let others get you down too much. Our fears and expectations can be and usually are our worst enemies. I've never lived free of them. I guess no one has, but I think some people are limited more by them than others. People are very judgmental about this kind of thing, though. No one wants to be told they had it easy when they know they had it hard. But then again, nobody can really know what it was like for someone else. It's all in our mind.

I'm going out on a limb but I think fear and expectations create reality as much as gravity does.

 

[sunshinesblack]

well i was born k-ish but it semas had bad nutritional deficientyes/and bad lifestyle early in life no one bothered to fix (developing country) and well they r here for life with bone deformities and affective disorders and social stigma, and last one is the worst, rest would have been manageable but pretty much everyone aded harm my entire life, just found out about treatment , its cheap but all everyone told me is im guly no word about illness
now there is a campaign about this here to not let children be ill and i feel really left out since i did not get that, the things my parents sayed to my about my issues, i want to rip them in peaces along with everyone thinking they r smart to bully me about it

Guess am that type of human meant to wonder the world alone and restless
am really resentful , defenetly feeling i have some hate and idiocy to give back to the world

 

[sunshinesblack]

I'm going out on a limb but I think fear and expectations create reality as much as gravity does.

well put