Brachial plexus injury at birth is a significant concern for expecting patients, and could potentially result in legal action against the medical staff on hand for the birth.

While brachial plexus injury at birth can occur for a number of reasons, medical malpractice has been documented to be a contributing factor in past cases. That may have been the case for one family whose infant allegedly suffered a brachial plexus injury at birth.

According to a report by KEVN, mother Jessica L. alleges that her baby was traumatized upon delivery, due to doctors and other medical staff not reacting properly during the delivery of her son. As a nurse, Jessica personally attests to the fact that brachial plexus injury at birth is not common and that most women do not even consider this as a possibility.

According to Jessica, approximately one or two in a thousand infants can suffer brachial plexus or Erb’s palsy injury at birth. The brachial plexus is a group of nerves that connects the spine and neck to the arms. Damage to these nerves can result in damage to arm function.

The severity of the brachial plexus injury at birth differs between cases, depending on the location of the injury and how it occurred. A brachial plexus injury at birth can be caused by a number of different factors, including improper use of obstetrical tools like forceps or vacuum extraction medical devices.

Even if the baby is delivered by hand, brachial plexus can occur if too much pressure or force is applied. The doctor may have to pull the baby out quickly if the shoulders get stuck after the head comes out, which causes tearing and stretching of brachial plexus nerves.

Overview of Brachial Plexus Injury at Birth

Jessica states her son’s birth injuries were caused by the conduct of the on site medical staff, and that his injuries were completely avoidable. According to Jessica, her son became stuck during the delivery, and the medical staff had to forcefully pull his head loose.

This allegedly caused nerve damage in his neck, resulting partial paralysis in his arm. By the time they left the hospital, six weeks after the birth, only two fingers could barely move. This variant of brachial plexus injury is called Erb’s palsy, in which the upper arm nerves become damaged and may be treatable depending on severity.

Jessica states that she and her husband knew that there were potential risk factors involved in her son’s birth, such as his size and her gestational diabetes during the later stages of pregnancy. They believe not enough preventative measures were taken.

While Jessica and her family remain optimistic throughout the situation, they maintain their son’s birth injury could have been avoided. Thousands of families across the United States are impacted by birth injuries that could have been avoided if medical professionals had properly attended to the mother and infant.

While not all cases of birth injuries are caused by medical malpractice, it is important for parents to pay attention to the conduct of their obstetrician and other on site medical staff. Parents who believe that their infant’s birth injuries were caused by medical malpractice may be able to file legal action. Potential claimants should contact a lawyer to determine eligibility for a birth injury lawsuit.