Erbs Palsy Injuries And Medical Malpractice Cases

Erb's palsy is an injury that can affect a newborn's shoulder, arm and hand, giving the baby a limp arm. The injury can arise during childbirth if too much pressure is used, thereby damaging the nerves in the shoulder. In case your child is affected with Erb's palsy you ought to contact a lawyer without delay to learn whether you and your baby might have a medical malpractice case against the doctor responsible for the injury. Erb's palsy describes damage to the network of nerve fibers that deliver signals from the spinal cord to the shoulder, arm, wrist, hand and fingers, and hence impacts control of movement and sensation in those areas.

It is an injury that often at the time of a challenging natural delivery because of excessive pressure applied to the head, neck or shoulders. The types of deliveries in which a baby is most likely to be injured in this way include those involving a big baby, breeched position or extended labor. In such situations, the doctor or other health care professional may employ maneuvers (sometimes involving forceps or a vacuum) that can cause too much pulling on the shoulders during a headfirst delivery or place excessive pressure on the arm and shoulder during a breech delivery.

Depending on the type and magnitude of the damage, potential symptoms of Erb's palsy may 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. Generally, the newborn will display what can most easily be described as a limp arm. Basically, the arm dangles limp and is rotated internally. As a result of the loss of use, the arm can appear underdeveloped as compared to the normal arm. Children with Erb's palsy may display several other symptoms related to problems with blood flow, including skin rashes, slow healing, and a susceptibility to infections.

Many infants affected recover within 6 months, frequently with the help of physical therapy. In situations with an actual rupturing or tearing of the nerves, surgery might be necessary, perhaps including tendon transfers to compensate for nerves that have lost functionality. If an operation does not correct the harm, the infant may be left with long term, partial, or total loss of functionality of the impacted 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 attorney to figure out whether you and your infant may have a malpractice lawsuit against the doctor or other medical care professional responsible for your child's injury. Consider that the law limits the amount of time a plaintiff has to pursue a claim. Check with a lawyer about how much time may remain.