Erbs Palsy Injuries And Malpractice Cases

Newborns from time to time are afflicted by a birth injury called Erb's palsy. It is an injury that may leave the newborn's arm limp. The injury typically occurs in the course of delivery because of excessive force on the baby's head, neck or shoulders. In case your child is affected you ought to contact a lawyer immediately to find out whether you and your child might have a malpractice lawsuit against the physician responsible for the injury. The injury is the result of damage to the network of nerve fibers that send signals from the spinal cord to the shoulder, arm, wrist, hand and fingers, and thus affects the child's ability to manipulate the affected areas and sensation in those areas.

Erb's pasy injuries often happen at the time of a challenging natural delivery due to excessive pressure to the head, neck or shoulders. The types of deliveries in which a baby is most likely to be injured in this manner include those involving a large baby, breeched position or prolonged labor. If one of the conditions occurs, the physician or other health care professional may use maneuvers (sometimes involving the application of forceps or a vacuum) that can cause too much pulling on the shoulders in the course of a headfirst delivery or place too much pressure on the arm and shoulder during a breech delivery.

Depending on the nature and extent of the damage, potential indicators of Erb's palsy might involve: The infant 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. Generally, the child tends to show a limp arm. Basically, the arm hangs limp and is rotated internally. Due to the lack of use, the arm may appear underdeveloped in comparison to the unaffected extremity. Newborns with Erb's palsy might display a number of other symptoms regarding issues with blood flow, including skin rashes, slow healing, and a propensity for infections.

The majority of children suffering from the injury fully recover within six months, sometimes after physical therapy. In cases involving a rupturing or tearing of the nerves, surgery could be needed, perhaps including tendon transfers to compensate for nerves that no longer function. When an operation fails to take care of the damage, the child may be left with permanent, partial, or total loss of function of the damaged nerves, leading to paralysis of the arm or arm weakness.

If your child suffer from Erb's Palsy you ought to immediately contact a medical malpractice lawyer to find out whether you and your infant might have a lawsuit against the doctor or other medical care professional liable for your child's injury. Note that a plaintiff has only a limited amount of time to act or be forever barred from succeeding on the claim and from recovering. Consult with a lawyer regarding how much time may be left.