Birth Injury Lawyer

Wilkes-Barre, Sugarloaf and Hazleton, Pennsylvania

Erb's Palsy

If your baby was born with Erbs palsy you may feel like you have no recourse. However, our birth injury lawyers at The Falvello Law Firm in Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania, have experience in dealing with these cases and want to help you.

What Erbs Palsy Is

Erbs palsy is a birth injury to the brachial plexus, which is the system of nerves which sends signals to the arm and hand from the spine. When this network is damaged, it results in a paralyzed arm. (Erbs palsy was named after Dr. Wilhelm Heinrich Erb, a German neurologist, and palsy means paralysis of a body part.)

Erbs palsy is known by many other names, including:

• Brachial palsy in the neonate
• Brachial plexus injury (BPI)
• Brachial plexus palsy (BPP)
• Erb-Duchenne paralysis
• Klumpke paralysis
• Obstetric brachial plexus

How Erbs Palsy Birth Injuries Happen

When the babys head is born but the shoulders dont follow because they are stuck behind the mothers pubic bone, it is called shoulder dystocia. Any pulling on the babys head in this situation can cause severe injuries to the brachial plexus. Shoulder dystocia is one of the trickiest problems because there is such a high risk of complications.

Sometimes shoulder dystocia is confused with Erbs palsy, but they are not exactly the same problem. Shoulder dystocia can cause Erbs palsy. Erbs palsy is one of the most serious yet common injuries from shoulder dystocia.

Erbs Palsy Symptoms

Symptoms of Erbs palsy usually discovered immediately after birth or fairly soon thereafter include:

• Arm immobile and flexed at elbow
• Arm or hand movement with little control
• Entire arm hanging limp and paralyzed
• Facial paralysis on the same side as arm and hand paralysis
• Grip reduced on one side
• Hand mobile but elbow or shoulder are not
• Inability to crawl (unless aided by remedial devices)
• No feeling in the hand or arm
• No involuntary response (known as the Moro reflex) on one side
• No muscle control in the hand or arm
• No spontaneous movement in the hand or the lower or upper arm
• Numb arm
• Inability to sit without support

Erbs Palsy Treatment

Treatment for Erbs palsy depends on the type of birth injury as well as the severity of it. Following are the usual levels of treatment:

• Healing on its own cases of Erbs palsy often heal by themselves in the first 3 to 4 months after birth. Parents are encouraged to exercise the limb to ensure a complete recovery.
• Surgery if the infants birth injury doesnt heal itself after 3 or 4 months, surgery may be recommended. The ideal time to perform this surgery is between 3 and 6 months of age, because after age 1 year, such surgery may not be as successful.
• Additional surgery if the first surgery doesnt successfully repair the injury, a second surgery may be necessary. Such procedures typically take place when the child is between ages 2 and 10.

If your infant has suffered a birth injury like Erbs palsy, please email us at The Falvello Law Firm in the Wilkes-Barre area of Pennsylvania. We want to help you get the compensation you deserve to help your child have the best quality life possible. Our birth injury lawyers offer a free initial consultation in which you speak to one of our lawyers within 24 hours, not just an assistant. And we work with you on a contingency basis so you dont pay anything unless we settle your case.