Urgent Awakening: Birth Trauma and the True Cost of Medical Blindness by Joy Wisdom

The Hidden Error

For too long, birth trauma has been dismissed, hidden under labels of “baby blues,” “colic,” or “just hormones.” But this underestimated perception is costing individuals, families health, ripple impacts on family unit, siblings, income. Underlying in teen mental health, self-esteem, anxiety from complex birth trauma, including early suicide. What health professionals fail to acknowledge is that birth experience ripples into childhood, adulthood and society itself.

We have enormous data that backs up the above statement. With trials decades old, indicating long term influences. The 1997 proof of Adverse Childhood Trauma (A.C.E) advising body-mind long term health risks to come from biological, chemical and body system breakdown forming chronic illness, an amazing science discovery. Today little medical acknowledgment exists. Generally unknown to society and parents, until it happens which it does regularly every day.

Logical to me from an integrated holistic point of view.

Birth trauma happens to infant, parents, a shock ripple effect to grandparents, siblings etc. A global issue from surgical intervention and/or poor interactions at birth event, that weaves a spiders web of long term impacts greater than majority of health professionals  understand.

The Health Toll on Families

The shock and adverse trauma received at birth event hits hard. Mothers silently carry depression, anxiety and PTSD after traumatic births. Personally I have found mothers who live underlying PTSD three, four years later. And there is a belief that in some cases, a permeance exists … the experience impact does not go away. Obviously an outcome for infant too!

• 1 in 7 mothers experience postnatal depression.

• Up to 18% develop PTSD.

• 1 in 10 fathers suffer depression too, though rarely screened.

  The belief that infants are far from “too young to be affected” is nonscience! Of course infants have feelings, shock and trauma affects them deeply. Detrimentally, the out of date thinking, lack of education on birth trauma is part of the continued issue.

• Infants symptoms and sign posts of trauma:  fractious can’t relax, fractious restless sleep, feeding problems, heightened stress responses. Infant does not feel safe, parental care is increased, nursing infant continually.  Unfortunately it is not enough to help them. Parents walk the floor trying to placate. Not knowing what to do. 
  

I know this well as my son had a virginal fast birth and he was left with shock and birth trauma. Unknown to me and health professionals. He would have nightmares from the experience. Waking around the same time he was born, distressed and  traumatised. There was no reassurance. I only realised his condition when I trained some 28 years later in holistic practices and Cranio Sacral Therapy. As a specialist in women’s and children’s health I saw infants and toddlers with birth trauma regularly. We are all born and adults carry the impacts too. Found underlying in various D.A.R.E therapy sessions, found to be underlying in anxiety and mental health issues today!

These early imprints leave detrimental cause and effect in mental health, showing up as cognitive issues, gut decline, headaches, anxiety, depression, has links to ADHD and hyperactivity.

The Economic Toll on Families

When trauma goes untreated, individuals, families pay the price in various ways: in health and economically; health domino effects are various, physically and psychological the cost is enormous.

• Parents lose work days or entire careers.

• Mothers sacrifice promotion, pension, and security.

• Parents concern, worry and anxiety has a domino effect on their health too.

• Family unit under strain from sleep deprivation, relationship divisions happen.

• Healthcare bills rise with prescriptions, therapy and interventions.

  Stress fractures relationships, creating long-term instability for children.
  

The Societal Toll:  The Tip of the Iceberg !

The ripple doesn’t stop at home. Society absorbs the cost:

• Workplaces losing talent to absenteeism and burnout.

  The numbers are staggering: £8 billion annually in the UK (maternal mental health costs) and over $1 trillion globally in lost productivity (WHO).

• Schools resources are stretched by children struggling with anxiety, behavioural issues, or learning difficulties.

• Councils and governments are under pressure to provide at home education. Underfunded and struggling to cope.

• Healthcare systems overwhelmed by preventable conditions.

• Because of the ripple effect, no awareness or education, no intervention, nothing done to correct.
  

Creating a genetic condition passed on to future generations. 

By not correcting the situation of trauma, transference continues in the next generation. Studies have shown mums anxiety, PPD, PTSD logically makes sense it will affect infant. The same with living with anyone living with depression, their disorder affects and has a ripple effect upon the rest of the family.

Transference in lineages makes the original outcome a thousand fold issue for future generations, with psychological and mental health underlying issues. Economically a mammoth issue for future society. Creating psychological issues from ignorance and lack of education. We are creating a world of epic mental, emotional, psycho-somoto outcomes.

The Blindness at the Root

·      Birth trauma is not inevitable. It is the product of health blindness:

·      Mothers told their suffering is “normal.”

·      Infants labelled “fussy” instead of recognised as stressed.

·      Fathers overlooked completely.

·      C-sections, inductions, and interventions treated as routine, without acknowledging shock and trauma corrections. No safeguarding exists. No long-term follow-up.

This blindness has created generations of innocents carrying emotional and traumatic wounds that could have been prevented.

The Awakening:

The awakening we need is simple, but profound: birth trauma is not just a medical event. It is the foundation of lifelong mental health. Anti-depressants are not the answer!  Acknowledging it means:

• Screening both parents for PND/PTSD.

• Instigating action to help eliminate shock and trauma.  Talking is not enough! Logically biological and chemical responses increase when we talk about shock endured! Therefore making the impact deeper and more ingrained. Shock increases.

• Recognising infant stress and supporting bonding.

• Building trauma-informed maternity and paediatric care.

• Integrating root-cause therapies like D.A.R.E., which dissolves trauma imprints and restore resilience for whole family.
  

The Cost of Doing Nothing

If we remain blind, we will keep paying:

·      Family units become fractured. Children struggling.

·      Parents lost to depression or suicide.

·      Economies drained by avoidable costs.

·      But if we awaken, the return is immeasurable:

·      Healthy children.

·      Healthier family unit, stable society

·      Reduced long term health impacts

By correcting shock and trauma at birth we can avoid and prevent long term health impacts. The benefits to society and individuals are vast. Health benefits are off the scale.  School and societal behaviour improvements, reducing crime and social behaviour. Build stronger societies. Generations raised in resilience, not suffering or living underlying shock or adverse trauma!

Starting life with birth trauma ruins lives, families . Not a great start to life! Not a great way to live. The tragedy and error of ignoring birth trauma is global. But it does not have to continue. We have the science, the solutions, and the compassion to change course.

The awakening to Birth Trauma is essential to reduce psychological and long term health impacts. It is a clear impact to human life. Including new levels of professional education and understanding is urgently required to stop the ongoing tragic and shameful instigation of emotional and mental health care at birth.

Awakening is essential for correcting personal safety and future health.

👉 It’s time to see birth for what it truly is: the foundation of life itself.

Let’s make new birth an enjoyable, a great start… not a health problem to come!

Joy Wisdom Founder of Joy Wisdom Trust