Erbs Palsy Injuries May Lead To Malpractice Lawsuits

Erb's palsy is an injury that affect's a baby's shoulder, arm and hand, giving the newborn a limp arm. The injury can happen during childbirth if too much pressure is employed, in so doing harming the nerves in the shoulder. If your child is affected you should contact an attorney immediately to determine if you and your child might have a malpractice case against the responsible doctor. Erb's palsy is an injury to the network of nerve fibers that send signals from the spinal cord to the shoulder, arm, wrist, hand and fingers, and so impacts control of movement and feeling in those areas.

It is an injury that often in the course of a difficult natural delivery because of excessive force to the head, neck or shoulders. The kind of deliveries during which a baby is has the greatest risk of being hurt in this manner include those involving a large baby, breeched position or prolonged labor. In such situations, the physician or other health care professional may employ maneuvers (sometimes involving the use of forceps or a vacuum) that can result in too much pulling on the shoulders during a headfirst delivery or put too much pressure on the arm and shoulder during a breech delivery.

Overall, a baby with the injury has a tendency to exhibit a limp arm. Basically, the arm dangles limp and is rotated internally. Because of the loss of use, the arm can appear underdeveloped as compared to the unaffected arm. Babies with Erb's palsy may exhibit a number of other symptoms associated with problems with circulation, including skin rashes, slow healing, as well as a susceptibility to infections.

Many babies with the injury fully recover within six months, frequently with the help of physical therapy. In situations with a rupturing or tearing of the nerves, surgery could be needed, perhaps including tendon transfers to make up for nerves that have lost functionality. When surgery fails to correct the harm, the child might be left with permanent, partial, or total loss of function of the affected nerves, resulting in paralysis of the arm or arm weakness.

If your child suffer from Erb's Palsy you should immediately contact a medical malpractice attorney to determine whether you and your infant may be able to pursue a malpractice claim against the physician or other medical care professional liable for your child's injury. Remember that a plaintiff has only a limited amount of time to act or be forever barred from succeeding on the claim and from recovering. Check with an attorney regarding how much time may remain.