Erb's palsy is an injury that affect's a newborn's shoulder, arm and hand, giving the infant a limp arm. An Erb's palsy injury can occur during childbirth if too much pressure is used, in so doing damaging the nerves in the shoulder. If your child is affected with Erb's palsy you should contact an attorney immediately to find out if you and your baby have a medical malpractice lawsuit against the physician who caused the injury. Erb's palsy describes damage to the network of nerve fibers that send signals from the spinal cord to the shoulder, arm, wrist, hand and fingers, and therefore affects the baby's ability to manipulate the affected areas and sensation in those areas. Erb's pasy typically happens to newborn babies in the course of a tough natural delivery as a result of excessive force applied to the head, neck or shoulders. The types of deliveries in which a baby is most likely to be damaged in this manner include those with a large baby, breeched position or prolonged labor. Under such circumstances, the doctor or other health care professional may use maneuvers (sometimes including the use of forceps or a vacuum) that can produce excessive pulling on the shoulders in the course of a headfirst delivery or place excessive pressure on the arm and shoulder during a breech delivery. Depending on the type and magnitude of the damage, possible symptoms might include: First, a reduction of muscle control and of sensation in the arm or hand. Second, loss of shoulder or elbow use. Third, lack of grip strength. Fourth, arm, hand and/or finger paralysis. Overall, the newborn will display what may best be referred to as a limp arm. Basically, the arm hangs limp and is rotated internally. Because of the lack of use, the arm might seem underdeveloped in comparison to the normal extremity. Further, newborns with Erb's palsy may show a number of other symptoms regarding difficulty with blood flow, like skin rashes, slow healing, as well as a tendency for infections. Many babies affected by Erb's palsy recover within six months, oftentimes with the help of physical therapy. In situations with an actual rupturing or tearing of the nerves, surgery may be required, perhaps including tendon transfers to make up for nerves that no longer function. If an operation does not resolve the damage, the baby might be left with permanent, partial, or total loss of functionality of the affected nerves, causing paralysis of the arm or arm weakness. If your child suffer from Erb's Palsy you ought to immediately consult with a medical malpractice lawyer to check whether you and your minor might have a medical malpractice case against the doctor or other medical care professional responsible 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 concerning how much time may be left.
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An Erb's palsy injury can leave a newborn with a serious irreversible disabilityt hat includes the loss of motor control, sensation and maybe even the use of an arm. Although it is possible that the injury was unavoidable, it may be from the application of too much force by the physician who delivered the infant. In such cases, the doctor may be liable for medical malpractice. This article examines how.
Joseph Hernandez is an Attorney accepting birth injury cases. For additional information about erb's palsy and other birth injury matters including group b strep matters visit the websites
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