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Brachial palsy injuries can occur from a difficult delivery.
The infant's head when passing through the birth canal
will sometimes get pulled to the side. Breech deliveries
as well may cause brachial palsy injuries because of the
pressure on the raised arms. Depending on how much pressure
has caused the brachial palsy injuries will determine recovery.
Over time, delivery methods have improved, allowing for
less risk of birth injuries. Doctors are now able to better
detect risk factors and take steps to reduce the chances
of suffering from brachial palsy injuries or other conditions.
The ability to perform C-section births when the baby may
have a difficult time passing the birth canal has decreased
brachial palsy injuries. If doctors identify the baby may
have a difficult birth canal delivery, the mother should
be evaluated and discuss alternate options like a C-section.
Brachial palsy injuries can exist at varying levels of
damage. Some infants will only be affected in their upper
arm, though the condition can be much worse in some instances.
This will be evident by the lack of spontaneous movement
the baby may display in the lower arm or hand and a decreased
grip on the affected side. Making sure all steps are taken
to avoid a difficult delivery can help reduce the risk
of the mother and the baby suffering from injuries, in
addition to reducing the risk of brachial palsy injuries.
Most babies affected by brachial palsy injuries will recover
by implementing gentle massage. Full healing should occur
within six months, although some more serious cases will
persist for longer. A doctor will evaluate the healing
progress of the baby and in more sever brachial palsy injuries,
advise the parents of what treatment methods may help to
better restore the muscle strength.
Either or both a pediatric neurologist and orthopedic
hand surgeon may become involved in the treatment process
of some serious brachial palsy injuries. Worst cases of
brachial palsy injuries can involve permanent loss of affected
nerve functioning that can lead to paralysis of the arm.
Some instances will not have permanent loss of functioning,
but a partial loss. In ten percent of brachial palsy injuries,
the entire brachial plexus is involved.
For more information on brachial palsy injuries, please contact
us. Brachial palsy injuries are 10-20
times more common than spinal cord injuries. Some instances
may have been preventable had adequate medical precautions
been taken. It is advised to learn your legal rights
and options if brachial palsy injuries, or any other
birth injury has been suffered.
Additional Information on Brachial Palsy:
National Brachial Plexus/Erb's Palsy Association, Inc.
NINDS Brachial Plexus Injuries Information Page
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