Erb’s Palsy Lawyers Houston

Erb’s palsy, also known as brachial plexus injury, is a birth injury that occurs during the birthing process. Not to be confused with cerebral palsy, which results from brain damage, Erb’s palsy is caused by damage to the nerves around the baby’s shoulders.

If you suspect your child suffers from this disorder, make sure to involve Erb’s palsy lawyers Houston to investigate a claim for potential medical malpractice.

Symptoms of Erb’s Palsy

Injuries to the brachial plexus cause immediate symptoms to the affected child. These symptoms may include:

Inability to move the upper or lower arm
Absence of Moro reflexes on the affected side
Arm bent at the elbow, causing the infant to hold it against their body
Decreased grip on the affected side

An injury to the brachial plexus causes nerve damage which in turn causes the aforementioned symptoms. This causes movement issues for the child that may only be partially relieved through physical therapy, if at all.

Causes of Brachial Plexus Injury

Knowing that nerve damage near the shoulders causes Erb’s palsy, how do injuries to the brachial plexus happen? There are several possible causes:

Pulling an infant’s neck or head to the side during delivery
Pulling an infant’s shoulders during normal delivery
Pressure on an infant’s raised arms during breech delivery

Due to the positioning of an infant during delivery, if the medical professional or person delivering the child is not careful, brachial plexus injury can occur and result in Erb’s palsy.

Risk Factors

There are some risk factors that may increase the chances of a brachial plexus injury. These risks are:

Breech births
Problems during delivery involving the infant’s shoulders
Larger infants

However, Erb’s palsy can happen in situations outside of these risk factors, especially when medical negligence or malpractice is involved. Consult a birth injury attorney to determine whether the cause of your child’s Erb’s palsy is the result of malpractice or negligence.

Prognosis of the Disorder

Many children born with Erb’s palsy recover in whole or in part by six months of age. If a child does not recover within this timeframe, however, the outlook is not as positive. Nerve grafting or transfers may be necessary to fix nerve avulsions resulting from a brachial plexus injury.

Physical therapy can also be helpful in prolonged Erb’s palsy cases. Where total recovery cannot be achieved, physical therapy can help to alleviate symptoms. Regardless of treatments or recovery, medical expenses as a result of brachial plexus injury are often costly.