If Physician's Negligence Ends in Erb's Palsy Injury To Baby Physician May Be Liable For Malpractice

BusinessLegal

  • Author Joseph Hernandez
  • Published December 7, 2010
  • Word count 499

Children in some cases suffer from a birth injury referred to as Erb's palsy. It sometimes leaves the baby's arm limp. An Erb's palsy injury may occur in the course of childbirth if too much pressure is employed, thereby harming the nerves in the shoulder. In case your baby suffers from Erb’s palsy you ought to contact an attorney without delay to determine whether you and your infant might have a malpractice lawsuit against the doctor who caused the injury. Erb's palsy is an injury to the network of nerve fibers that send signals from the spinal cord to the shoulder, arm, wrist, hand and fingers, and hence impacts the baby's ability to manipulate the affected areas and feeling in those areas.

Erb's pasy typically in a tough natural delivery because of too much pressure applied to the head, neck or shoulders. The types of deliveries during which a baby is most likely to be damaged in this way include those with a big baby, breeched position or extented labor. In such situations, the physician or other health care professional may apply maneuvers (sometimes involving the use of forceps or a vacuum) that might cause excessive pulling on the shoulders in the course of a headfirst delivery or put excessive pressure on the arm and shoulder during a breech delivery.

Depending on the nature and extent of the injury, potential symptoms of Erb’s palsy might include: The baby may show loss of muscle control and sensation in the arm or hand; loss of shoulder or elbow function; poor grip strength; and paralysis of all or part of the extremity. Overall, the infant tends to show what may be described as a limp arm. Basically, the arm dangles limp and is rotated internally. Because of the lack of use, the arm may appear underdeveloped in comparison to the unaffected arm. Babies with Erb’s palsy may display several other symptoms related to problems with blood flow, such as skin rashes, slow healing, and a propensity for infections.

Many babies with Erb’s palsy fully recover within six months, sometimes with the help of physical therapy. In situations with an actual rupturing or tearing of the nerves, surgery could be necessary, perhaps including tendon transfers to make up for nerves that have lost functionality. In the event that an operation fails to correct the harm, the infant may be left with permanent, partial, or total loss of functionality of the impacted nerves, resulting in paralysis of the arm or arm weakness.

Should your suffers from Erb’s Palsy immediately consult with a medical malpractice lawyer to check if you and your infant might be able to pursue a malpractice lawsuit against the doctor or other medical care professional liable for your baby's injury. Note that a plaintiff has only a limited amount of time to act or be forever barred from succeeding on the claim and from recovering. Check with a lawyer regarding how much time may be left.

Joseph Hernandez is an Attorney accepting birth injury medical malpractice cases. You can learn more about erbs palsy and other types of birth injuries such as group b strep matters by visiting the website

Article source: https://articlebiz.com
This article has been viewed 785 times.

Rate article

Article comments

There are no posted comments.

Related articles