Erb's Palsy

Erb's palsy is a birth injury, and it usually happens to a baby who has had a difficult delivery, such as when:

• the labor is unusually long or problematic
• the baby is more than nine pounds at birth
• the obstetrician, midwife, or nurse uses too much force to pull the baby from the birth canal
• the baby's exit from the birth canal is breech (i.e., feet- or buttocks-first)

A Nerve Injury
The incidence of Erb's palsy is about 1–2 of every 1,000 babies born in the U.S. each year. Erb's palsy occurs when the brachial plexus, the system of nerves from the spinal cord to the arms and hands, is stretched or torn during the baby's delivery.

There are four categories of nerve injuries that may cause Erb's palsy:

• Stretch injuries that "shock" (but don't tear) a nerve. This is called a neurapraxia. They usually heal on their own within weeks or months.
• Stretch injuries that damage nerve fibers, sometimes resulting in scar tissue that presses on a healthy nerve (a "neuroma").
• Stretch injuries that rupture, or tear apart, a nerve. A ruptured nerve can't heal on its own.
• Avulsions, the most serious type of nerve injury, occurs when a nerve is torn away from the baby's spinal cord.

A baby who is left with Erb's palsy after his or her birth may be partly or completely unable to move an arm, or might only be able to move his or her fingers. Therapy may help.

Erb's Palsy May Be Due to Medical Malpractice
Erb's palsy is sometimes caused by negligence on the part of the doctor handling the baby's delivery, or a nurse, a midwife, or other healthcare provider involved in the delivery. For example, sometimes a baby's Erb's palsy is the result of:

• a failure to recognize risk factors in the pregnancy or delivery
• a failure to respond in time to a risk factor or complication in the delivery
• using excessive force to bring the baby out of the birth canal
• delegation of a medical procedure to an inexperienced or junior staff member

Talk to a Shapiro Lawyer about Erb's Palsy
If your baby has Erb's palsy and you suspect that it was caused by medical malpractice, please feel free to contact the Shapiro Law Group and talk to a compassionate and knowledgeable attorney about how we can help.