Erb’s Palsy
Problem summary
There are many different kinds of birth injuries and birth trauma occurring during or after delivery that can affect a child’s physical development, including debilitating brain injuries and severe neuromuscular disabilities like cerebral palsy. One of these birth injuries is Erb’s palsy, a condition caused by damage to the nerves in the upper arm, occurring either when the infant’s shoulder requires considerable manipulation to pass through the birth canal or when the infant’s neck is stretched to the side or the arms are pulled backward over the head as the delivering doctor pulls on the baby’s legs during a breech birth. The word “palsy” means weakness, and infants diagnosed with Erb’s palsy typically experience weakness and a loss of motion in the affected arm or arms. The adverse effects of Erb’s palsy can vary depending on the severity of the injury, and permanently damaged brachial plexus nerves can have significant physical as well as psychological consequences.
About Erb’s Palsy Birth Trauma
Erb’s palsy is a condition characterized by paralysis of the arm caused by injury to the upper group of the arm’s main nerves, which form part of the brachial plexus, a network of nerves near the neck that provide movement and feeling to the fingers, hand, arm and shoulder. In many cases of Erb’s palsy, the C5 and C6 nerves near the baby’s neck are stretched or severed, resulting in a loss of feeling and partial or complete paralysis. As a result of the nerve injury, affected children often favor the injured arm or are unable to move it at all. Some common symptoms of Erb’s palsy include paralysis and atrophy of the deltoid, brachialis and bicep muscles, a loss of all power of flexion of the elbow, and a general loss of sensation in the affected arm.
Depending on the extent of the birth injury, Erb’s palsy can sometimes resolve on its own over a period of three to six months and in cases such as this, the infant may recover feeling and movement in the affected arm. Otherwise, the birth injury may require rehabilitation or surgery to repair. In severe cases of Erb’s palsy, the affected arm may be noticeably smaller than the other arm and the child may experience lifelong problems as a result of the birth trauma, possibly including abnormal muscle contractions and a permanent loss of function in the affected arm.
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Possible Causes of Erbs’ Palsy
Erb’s palsy most commonly occurs during an abnormal or difficult birth, in which the infant’s upper arm suffers damage that may become permanent. The birth trauma typically occurs in one of three ways, either:
- The baby passes through the birth canal at an awkward angle, with the head and arm being pulled in opposite directions
- The delivering doctor puts excessive pressure on the baby’s shoulders during a face-first delivery
- The baby’s arms are pulled backward over the head as the delivering doctor pulls on the legs during a breech birth
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Erb’s Palsy Settlements & Litigation
The brachial plexus is critical to the normal functioning of the arm, hands and fingers, and an Erb’s palsy birth injury can have a significant impact on a child’s ability to move and feel the affected arm. If a child’s Erb’s palsy injury is caused by a medical mistake on the part of the delivering doctor or another hospital staff member, either due to excessive pulling on the child’s shoulder or head during delivery, or failure to use forceps or vacuum extraction tools properly, the child’s family may have grounds to file a medical malpractice lawsuit for damages.
In 2013, the mother of an infant who suffered a severe birth injury resulting in Erb’s palsy was awarded $12.9 million in damages after claiming that the trauma could have been avoided had the physician scheduled an emergency C-section or used a different medical maneuver after the baby became lodged in the pelvic area during delivery. In another lawsuit, the family of a girl with Erb’s palsy was awarded $5.5 million after the jury found that the birth injury occurred when the doctor applied excessive lateral traction to the baby’s head during delivery, thereby stretching and tearing the brachial nerves.
If you believe your child’s Erb’s palsy injury was the result of a medical error, contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney today to discuss your legal options.
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