Malpractice Cases Alleging Baby's Erb's Palsy Was A Result Of Physician's Negligence

Erb’s palsy is an injury that affect's a newborn's shoulder, arm and hand, giving the baby a limp arm. An Erb's palsy injury can happen during childbirth if excessive force is employed, thereby damaging the nerves in the shoulder. In case your infant is affected with Erb’s palsy you ought to contact an attorney right away to find out whether you and your newborn may have a medical malpractice case against the responsible doctor. Erb's palsy is an injury to the system of nerve fibers that send signals from the spinal cord to the shoulder, arm, wrist, hand and fingers, and hence affects the infant's ability to use the affected areas and sensation in those areas.

Erb's pasy typically at the time of a tough natural delivery because of too much force to the head, neck or shoulders. The types of deliveries in which a baby is most likely to be harmed in this manner include those with a big baby, breeched position or prolonged labor. When one of the conditions occurs, the doctor or other health care professional may employ maneuvers (sometimes including the use of forceps or a vacuum) that can produce too much pulling on the shoulders during a headfirst delivery or place too much pressure on the arm and shoulder during a breech delivery.

In general terms, the infant tends to display a limp arm in which the arm hangs limp and is rotated internally. As a result of the lack of use, the arm may seem underdeveloped in comparison to the normal arm. Babies suffering from Erb’s palsy might exhibit other symptoms related to problems with circulation, such as skin rashes, slow healing, and a propensity for infections.

The majority of newborns with Erb’s palsy fully recover within 6 months, frequently after physical therapy. In cases involving al rupturing or tearing of the nerves, surgery could be needed, perhaps including tendon transfers to make up for nerves that no longer function. When an operation fails to correct the damage, the infant might be left with long term, partial, or total loss of function of the damaged nerves, leading to paralysis of the arm or arm weakness.

If your child suffer from Erb’s Palsy you ought to immediately consult with a medical malpractice attorney to check whether you and your son or daughter might have a malpractice case against the physician or other medical care professional liable for your infant's injury. Keep in mind that a plaintiff has only a limited time frame within which to act or be forever barred from succeeding on the claim and from recovering. Consult with a lawyer about how much time may remain.