Erbs Palsy Injuries May Lead To Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
By: J. Hernandez
Submitted: 2010-10-27 17:18:07 | Word Count: 553
Erb's palsy is an injury that can affect a baby's shoulder, arm and hand, leaving the newborn with a limp arm. The injury generally happens in the course of delivery due to excessive force on the baby's head, neck or shoulders. In case your child suffers from Erb's palsy you ought to contact a lawyer without delay to find out if you and your baby may have a medical malpractice claim against the doctor who caused the injury. Erb's palsy describes damage to the network of nerve fibers that send signals from the spinal cord to the shoulder, arm, wrist, hand and fingers, and hence impacts control of movement and feeling in those areas.
Erb's pasy often happens to newborn babies in a tough natural delivery as a result of too much force applied to the head, neck or shoulders. The kind of deliveries during which a baby is most likely to be injured in this manner include those with a big baby, breeched position or prolonged labor. If one of the conditions comes up, the physician or other health care professional may use maneuvers (sometimes involving the use of forceps or a vacuum) that might result in too much pulling on the shoulders during a headfirst delivery or place excessive pressure on the arm and shoulder during a breech delivery.
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Depending on the nature and magnitude of the harm, potential symptoms might include: First, a reduction of muscle control and of sensation in the arm or hand. Second, loss of shoulder or elbow use. Third, lack of grip strength. Fourth, arm, hand and/or finger paralysis. Typically, the child will exhibit what might best be referred to as a limp arm wherein the arm dangles limp and is rotated internally. As a result of the lack of use, the arm might appear underdeveloped in comparison to the normal arm. Further, children suffering from Erb's palsy may show several other symptoms regarding difficulty with circulation, for example skin rashes, slow healing, and a tendency for infections.
Many infants with Erb's palsy make a full recovery within six months, oftentimes after physical therapy. In instances with an actual rupturing or tearing of the nerves, surgery might be required, possibly including tendon transfers to make up for nerves that have lost functionality. In the event that surgery does not resolve the injury, the infant might be left with lifelong, partial, or total loss of functionality of the affected nerves, resulting in paralysis of the arm or arm weakness.
If your child suffer from Erb's Palsy you ought to immediately consult with a medical malpractice lawyer to find out if you and your minor might be able to pursue a medical malpractice claim against the doctor or other medical care professional responsible for your child's injury. Remember that the law limits the amount of time a plaintiff has to pursue a claim. Check with an attorney about how much time may be left.
Author Resource:-
Joseph Hernandez is an Attorney accepting medical malpractice cases. You can learn more about erb's palsy and other birth injury matters including group b strep matters visit the websites
