LIBRARY > BIRTH INJURIES > ERBS PALSY

What are Erb's Palsy, Brachial Plexus Palsy, and Shoulder Dystocia?

Topics Covered

Birth Injuries to the Shoulder, Neck and Spine
Signs of Injury
Causes
Treatment
Your Legal Rights

INTRODUCTION: Women are rightfully nervous during their pregnancies and before they give birth. Delivering a baby is painful and exhausting and there is always the possibility that complications will arise. The expectant mother's health or the health of her baby could be at risk.

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Birth Injuries to the Shoulder, Neck and Spine

Babies suffer Erbs Palsy, Brachial Plexus Palsy and Shoulder Dystocia if the nerves in their shoulders, necks or spines were injured during birth. Large infants, especially the children of diabetic mothers, are most at risk.

These conditions result in paralysis, reduced mobility or numbness of the neck, arms and hands.

These injuries may have been unavoidable and every prudent step was taken by the obstetrical team to avoid harming the child during a delivery with significant complications. But parents should be alert to the proven link between medical malpractice and the incidence of Erbs Palsy, Brachial Plexus Palsy and Shoulder Dystocia.

Signs of Injury

Children born with these injuries show a range of symptoms depending on which nerves were harmed and the extent of damage.

A child with a Brachial Plexus injury may have weakened arm and wrist muscles as well as partial or complete paralysis of an arm or hand. In some cases, the child can use their hands, but can't lift their shoulders or bend their elbows.

In the event of a Shoulder Dystocia, the infant can be born with a broken arm or clavicle. The muscles traveling through the neck may have been strained, resulting in arm or shoulder paralysis.

Sometimes with a Shoulder Dystocia, cerebral hypoxia or a complete deprivation of oxygen to the brain has occurred. This is a dangerous condition, which can cause the baby to be born with impaired motor control, behavioral and emotional problems. In the worst cases, the child suffers a coma or is rendered brain dead.

Causes

These injuries usually happen at birth. They typical victim is a larger than average baby. The doctor chose to deliver the baby vaginally and not by Caesarean Section.

Brachial Plexus injuries and Shoulder Dystocia occur when the baby's head is delivered but the shoulders remain stuck in the birth canal. The damage to the head, neck and spine is inflicted as the doctor attempts to dislodge the shoulders through a variety of obstetrical maneuvers or the use of forceps.

When medical malpractice plays a role, the obstetrician may not have performed these obstetrical maneuvers skillfully. He may have misjudged the size of the baby or have failed to take into account the size and shape of mother's anatomy and her ability to deliver a full-size or large infant. The mother's caregivers may have failed to render adequate treatment in the presence of fetal distress.

Treatment

The good news about these injuries is that most children recover on their own within a matter of months. Other affected children need physical and occupational therapy, performed on a constant basis to improve their muscle and joint function.

Surgery is necessary for more severely affected children, who haven't recovered from their injuries by the time they are five months old. The surgery is most effective if performed before the child turns one. The repair surgery is complicated and done under the supervision of a pediatric neurologist.

Your Legal Rights

If your infant has been diagnosed with an Erbs Palsy, Brachial Plexus Palsy or Shoulder Dystocia, you would be wise to have an attorney with experience in medical malpractice review your medical and hospital records. He can determine whether negligence played a role in your child's injuries. Your child's treatment will be expensive and he may be left with lifelong disabilities. If a lawsuit is successful, you can obtain the financial resources to obtain the necessary care for your child.