An Explanation Of Erbs Palsy Injuries And Why They May Be Due To Medical Negligence And Lead To A Medical Malpractice Case
By: J. Hernandez
Submitted: 2010-07-19 20:19:02 | Word Count: 564
Newborns in some cases suffer from a birth injury known as Erb's palsy. Such an injury may leave the infant with a limp arm. An Erb's palsy injury can happen during childbirth if excessive force is used, in so doing harming the nerves in the shoulder. If your child suffers from Erb's palsy you should contact an attorney without delay to find out whether you and your newborn have a medical malpractice claim against the responsible physician. Erb's palsy is an injury to the system of nerve fibers that deliver signals from the spinal cord to the shoulder, arm, wrist, hand and fingers, and so affects the baby's ability to use the affected areas and feeling in those areas.
Erb's pasy usually happens to newborn babies during a tough natural delivery because of too much force applied to the head, neck or shoulders. The types of deliveries in which a baby is has the greatest risk of being injured in this manner include those with a big baby, breeched position or extented labor. Under such circumstances, the physician or other health care professional may employ maneuvers (sometimes including the use of forceps or a vacuum) that might cause too much pulling on the shoulders during a headfirst delivery or put excessive pressure on the arm and shoulder during a breech delivery.
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Depending on the nature and magnitude of the damage, potential indicators might involve: The child may exhibit loss of muscle control and sensation in the arm or hand; loss of shoulder or elbow function; poor grip strength; and paralysis of all or part of the extremity. Typically, the infant will display what can best be described as a limp arm in which the arm dangles limp and is rotated internally. As a result of the lack of use, the arm may appear underdeveloped in comparison to the normal arm. Also, babies suffering from Erb's palsy may display several other symptoms related to issues with blood flow, like skin rashes, slow healing, as well as a propensity for infections.
Many infants with Erb's palsy fully recover within 6 months, oftentimes after physical therapy. In situations involving an actual rupturing or tearing of the nerves, surgery might be required, possibly including tendon transfers to compensate for nerves that have lost functionality. If surgery does not resolve the damage, the infant may be left with irreversible, partial, or total loss of function of the impacted nerves, causing paralysis of the arm or arm weakness.
If your child suffer from Erb's Palsy you ought to immediately consult with a medical malpractice attorney to establish whether you and your baby may be able to pursue a medical malpractice case against the physician or other medical care professional responsible for your baby's injury. Remember that the law limits the amount of time a plaintiff has to pursue a claim. Seek advice from with a lawyer about how much time may be left.
Author Resource:-
Joseph Hernandez is an Attorney accepting catastrophic injury and medical malpractice cases. To learn more about erbs palsy and other birth injury matters including group b streptococcus matters visit the websites
