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October 13th, 2009 admin

Cord Breech

What is Erb’s Palsy

Erb’s palsy is caused by a trauma during birth and it is a type of brachial plexus injury. Approximately one to two in every 2,000 babies born each year suffers a brachial plexus injurythat is, an injury affecting a group of nerves that travels from the neck to the hands along the spinal cord. Erbs palsy, in particular, affects shoulder and elbow motion, causing weakness or paralysis. If the condition of Erb’s palsy is severe, the entire arm may be affected.

Erbs Palsy Nerve Injuries

Erbs palsy is characterized by one or more of the following types of nerve injuries:

AvulsionThis type of injury occurs when the nerve is torn from the spinal column.
RuptureWith ruptures, the nerve is torn but remains attached to the spine.
Stretch-Around the damaged area is scar tissue and that limits the function of the nerve.
Neurapraxia-This nerve injury is mild and occurs when there is interruption of the nerve’s impulse.

Treatment of Erbs Palsy

Treatment for Erbs palsy largely depends on the severity of the nerve injury. However mild cases may heal on their own other cases may need exercise and physical therapy for help recover fully. Surgery may be advised if your infant is not healed after many months.

If the Erb’s palsy is severe such as those involving an avulsion or rupture require surgery for nerve grafting or nerve transfer. The best results are seen when the surgery is performed on infants between three and six months of age. Surgery becomes less successful as time passes.

Additional Erbs palsy treatments may include:

Neurolysisa procedure in which scar tissue is cleared from the nerve
Secondary surgeries such as tendon transfer and osteotomy (arm correction)
Physical therapy

In all cases of Erbs palsy, early evaluation is key to determining the best, most effective course of treatment.

Erbs Palsy Causes and Risk Factors

Erbs palsy is generally caused by nerve damage to an infant during delivery. There are a number of factors that increase the risk of Erbs palsy, including:

Breech position
Prolonged labor
The baby is large (more than 9lbs)
The mothers pelvis is narrow or abnormally shaped

Erbs palsy may also be caused by the use of excessive force during delivery, particularly when forceps or vacuum extractionis used.

When to Contact an Erbs Palsy Lawyer

Erbs palsy is not always preventable, but exercising sound medical judgment and adhering to accepted standards of care can reduce the risk ofif not altogether preventthis condition. The medical professional can make errors. In some cases, errors are due to inadequate training or improper judgment; in others, mistakes are made due to sheer negligence. Even though mistakes in labor and delivery are usually unintentional, consequences should be given and compensation are available to victims and families.

If there were complications such as those listed above during your childs delivery, medical negligence or malpractice may be to blame for your childs condition. Our professionals at our law firm will evaluation your case free of charge. Well be glad to hear the circumstances of your case, advise you of your legal options and answer any questions you may have.

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