Baltimore Erb’s Palsy Attorney

Baltimore Erb's Palsy Attorney If you believe that your child suffered Erb’s Palsy injuries during the labor and delivery process, you may have grounds for a medical malpractice claim against the doctors responsible.

Damage to nerves during the labor and delivery process can seriously complicate your child’s medical condition.

What You Should Know About the Brachial Plexus

A brachial plexus is a network of nerves in the shoulder of the human body that transmits signals between the spinal cord and the hands, fingers and the arms. When these nerves are damaged, this can lead to weakness, loss of sensation or paralysis. These conditions may be referred to as brachial plexus, birth palsy or Erb’s palsy.

A newborn may sustain a brachial injury during a challenging delivery usually as a consequence of an obstetrician’s mistake. Consulting with an experienced Maryland birth injury attorney as soon as possible is critical for addressing the complications associated with Erb’s Palsy.

How Erb’s Palsy Can Impact Your Child’s Life

A child born with Erb’s palsy may have numerous difficulties growing up. Any situation in which an obstetrician or other physician in labor and delivery room was negligent in his or her responsibilities leading to birth injuries could enable you to recover compensation in the form of medical malpractice claim.

Obstetricians in particular are trained to recognize signs of fetal distress and high risk pregnancies so as to take action to avoid injury to the child and the mother. A doctor, for example, could recommend a C-section in order to reduce the chances of brachial injury if these risk factors are present.

Erb’s Palsy by the Numbers

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, 1 or 2 out of every 1000 babies will have Erb’s palsy. The severity of the symptoms in each child will depend on the actual damage to the nerves. Erb’s palsy is different from Cerebral Palsy. Cerebral palsy is a condition that emerges as a result of damage to the child’s brain. Erb’s palsy, however, usually involves an afflicted shoulder.

Your newborn may require medications or surgery to trigger nerve regeneration and repair damage. It is also quite likely that a child affected by Erb’s palsy will have to undergo rehabilitation, including:

Nerve graft surgery
Physiotherapy
Occupational therapy
Tendon and muscle release
Hydrotherapy