What is Erb’s palsy?

Posted in Firm News, Medical Malpractice on September 17, 2020

Washington parents like you expect the best care when you are dealing with matters of childbirth. After all, maternal care has come a long way. In the United States, there are hardly any fatalities related to childbirth. Even birthing injuries have been drastically lowered.

But this does not mean there are no risks at all. Birth injuries do still happen. One such injury is Erb’s palsy.

What is the bracial plexus nerve?

Ortho Info takes a look at a type of brachial plexus palsy known as Erb’s palsy. This issue affects the brachial plexus nerve network, which controls the entire arm from the shoulder to the fingers. When the brachial plexus suffers from injury, it affects the range of motion in the related arm.

The related effect of this injury has a wide range. Some children cannot move or lift the impacted arm at all, resulting in atrophy to the muscle in that area. Others only have a mildly stunted range of motion and are otherwise unhindered. A baby with brachial plexus most often just has it in one arm. In addition, only 2 in every 1000 babies ends up with this condition.

What is the prognosis for Erb’s palsy?

The other good news is that brachial plexus injuries are relatively simple to treat. In general, the child must go through physical therapy. But within one to three years, the effects of the brachial plexus injury are notably diminished or gone entirely. It is rare for a child to not make a full or near-full recovery, which is a bit of good news for otherwise extremely distressed parents.