Brachial Plexus Injuries from Medical Malpractice

Arm Nerve Birth Injuries: Why Medical Malpractice Could Be the Cause of Brachial Plexus Injuries to a Newborn

People are often not familiar with a birth injury until their newborn is diagnosed with one. One type of birth injury that is common is an injury to the arm’s nerves.  This is often a brachial plexus nerve injury.  There are many brachial plexus injuries, some being more severe and permanent than others. Brachial plexus injuries are pretty common and can cause endless pain and disability. Parents whose children suffered from a brachial plexus injury or any other birth injury may seek assistance from a lawyer to determine if they may be eligible for compensation for any injuries sustained before, during, and shortly after delivery.  This is because many times, a brachial plexus injury is from medical malpractice and is preventable.

If your loved one suffered any birth injury, such as a brachial plexus injury, you might be the victim of medical malpractice.  These birth injuries are often preventable due to avoidable mistakes that a healthcare provider makes.  These mistakes can result in a lifetime of pain and suffering for a victim and become costly for a family.  Learn how a birth injury lawyer like one of our brachial plexus injury lawyers can help you at Medical Malpractice Universe.

What is the Brachial Plexus?

To understand what a brachial plexus birth injury is, it’s essential to understand the brachial plexus in the body. The brachial plexus consist of a network of nerves running from the spinal cord in the back down to the neck, through the arms, and to the fingertips. Any injury to these nerves can affect movement, sensation, function, and the development of the fingers, hands, and arms.

More specifically, the brachial plexus itself is a bundle of nerves coming off several vertebrae in the spinal column, coming out of the spinal cord.  The spinal cord is the messenger superhighway between the nerves in the rest of the body (peripheral nervous system) and the brain (part of the central nervous system with the spinal cord).  Each of the branches of nerves coming off the spinal column is thin but still strong.  They combine at the base of the nerve, and that bundle is considered the start of the brachial plexus.

The nerves then continue down the arm and split in various spots of the arm, separating and breaking into smaller branches with specialized functions.

Brachial Plexus Nerve Injuries Explained

Injuries to the brachial plexus in the neck or shoulder can damage the rest of the arm in many ways.  For instance, even though some nerves break off and specialize in the lower arm, damage in the neck or shoulder can still damage those specialized nerves that are not visible until later down the arm.  That means an injury in the neck can damage nerves in the hand.

Brachial plexus nerve injuries occur when the bundle of nerves is either torn, pulled or stretched. In the case of a brachial plexus birth injury, the damage typically occurs during delivery when a doctor or midwife applies too much force during delivery or pulls the arm, head, or neck too forcefully or in the wrong direction.

As a newborn who has a brachial plexus injury continues to grow, the damage can affect their development in many ways, including their ability to achieve milestones such as crawling, sitting, eating, and many other typical milestones achieved during childhood.  A brachial plexus injury could also result in severe muscular underdevelopment causing extreme weakness and abnormalities in the arm.

Types of Brachial Plexus Nerve Injuries

Brachial plexus nerve injuries are an umbrella term, with there being many different types of brachial plexus nerve injuries. Examples of common brachial plexus injuries that occur during labor and delivery include the following:

Klumpke’s Palsy – This brachial plexus injury causes significant weakness in the arm. Typically one the lower half of the arm is affected, leaving a newborn with temporary or permanent disability depending on the severity of the injury. Some newborns may not be able to move part of their arm due to severe weakness.

Erb’s Palsy – Erb’s palsy is another type of brachial plexus injury that results in the arm’s weakness, but unlike Klumpke’s palsy, the upper half of the arm is affected instead of the lower half of the arm. If the injury is permanent, the child may never be able to move their arm or have limited movement for the rest of their life.

Causes of Brachial Plexus Injuries

There are many common causes of brachial plexus birth injuries, including the following:

Shoulder Dystocia – Shoulder dystocia occurs when the infant’s shoulders get stuck in the mother’s pelvis. As a result, doctors often rush to get the baby out and may use excessive force, causing a brachial plexus injury. This is one of the most common causes of brachial plexus injuries.

Inaccurate assessment of a baby’s size before delivery – It is often difficult to estimate the size of a baby before delivery, with many physicians misjudging the size. However, there are times when there are significant discrepancies between the size estimated and the baby’s size. Suppose a physician tells a mother that vaginal delivery is entirely safe as her baby should be average weight but is several pounds heavier (i.e., over 10 pounds). In that case, this can lead to a baby becoming stuck during delivery, leading to excessive force being used.

Excessive force during delivery is a common cause of brachial plexus injuries. Doctors and midwives are specially trained to avoid doing this during delivery. Therefore, brachial plexus injuries should never happen for this reason.

Failing to properly assess if the mother can safely birth the baby given the size of her pelvis  – Doctors should constantly evaluate the size of the mother’s pelvis before delivery. Suppose a mother has an abnormally small pelvis or an unusually large baby that is unlikely to be delivered safely vaginally. In that case, a c-section should be performed without attempting a vaginal delivery.

Dropping a baby right after delivery on their head, shoulders, or neck – If a baby is dropped right after delivery, it can cause serious injuries, including brachial plexus injuries. No one should ever drop a baby. Regardless of it being an accident, it still will result in serious injury for the newborn.

Improper use of extraction tools – Extraction tools such as a vacuum extractor or forceps is often used during delivery. The use of extraction tools carries risks, with brachial plexus injuries occurring if too much force is used or if the baby’s head or neck is turned in such a way while using the tools, which results in injury.

Excessive force, pulling, or tugging on a baby during contractions – Doctors should not forcefully pull or tug on a baby during contractions as it can result in a brachial plexus injury.

Vaginal delivery of a breech baby – This should never occur. If a baby is determined to be breech, it should be born via c-section. Vaginal delivery of a breech baby places the baby at significant risk of severe injuries, including brachial plexus injuries.

Signs that Your Baby May Have Suffered From a Brachial Plexus Nerve Injury

You may notice immediately that something is not quite right with your newborn. Your newborn may not move their arm, they may not be able to grip your finger, they may appear to be in pain, and they may hold their arm in an odd position.

However, it may not be immediately apparent that your newborn suffered from a brachial plexus injury. If it is milder, it may not become evident that your child has suffered from a brachial plexus injury until they can verbalize that they have impaired sensation or if you notice a delay in milestones requiring the use of the arms and hands.

How is a Brachial Plexus Injury Diagnosed?

A brachial plexus injury is diagnosed based on assessment of the newborn or child as well imaging. Imaging may include computed tomography (CT) scans, X-rays, Nerve conduction studies (NCS) or electromyogram (EMG), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Treatment of a Brachial Plexus Injury

Treatment for a child diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury depends on the type of injury, degree of damage, and level of impairment. Physical and occupational therapy may be effective in more mild brachial plexus injuries, while surgery may need to be performed for more severe cases. While there are different treatments for brachial plexus injuries, sadly, some children may still be left with permanent injury and disability.

Did Your Loved One Suffer a Brachial Plexus Nerve Injury?  We Can Help

All types of arm injuries are very serious, and brachial plexus injuries can be some of the most debilitating and disabling types of birth injuries.  If brachial plexus injuries seriously injured you or a loved one due to medical malpractice, contact one of our experienced brachial plexus injury lawyers here at Medical Malpractice Universe.