Mississippi Birth Injury Attorneys Talk about Erb’s Palsy

A recent birth injury case in Mississippi is an example of one type of birth injury – brachial plexus injury. The brachial plexus is a group of nerves which extend from the spine through the neck, all the way through the arm and into the hand. Sometimes, if doctors or other professionals pull too hard on the baby’s body while trying to aid in delivery, these nerves can be stretched or damaged, resulting in temporary or permanent injury.

Some brachial plexus injuries heal fully, while others heal partially or not at all. When brachial plexus injuries are severe, they require a great deal of care both immediately after birth, and throughout the life of the injured child. In this particular case, a baby girl has been diagnosed with Erb’s Palsy. Erb’s Palsy is a permanent complete or partial paralysis of the arm. The little girl in this case is permanently disabled as the result of her condition, which developed after a shoulder dystocia occurred during her birth.

When the mother of the little girl was laboring in the hospital, complications began to arise. The mother, who is also the plaintiff in the case, asserts that the defendant physician acted negligently in addressing the complications that she encountered during labor. Negligence during delivery is a common cause of brachial plexus injuries like Erb’s Palsy. Brachial plexus injuries are caused by force which is exerted on an infant during birth by medical professionals. The use of force during delivery is not necessary, as alternative methods of delivering the baby are available, including letting the mother continue to push the further down the birth canal if there is no fetal distress, or by performing a cesarean birth in situations where the baby is in distress or where the baby is lodged firmly in the birth canal as the result of a shoulder dystocia. The plaintiff in the case at hand claims that the medical staff who were attending her delivery did not use any of these alternative birthing methods, choosing instead to apply fundal pressure to her abdomen in an attempt to deliver the baby, and also pulling on the baby’s head.

When the brachial plexus nerves are damaged severely, resulting in Erb’s Palsy, the child experiences weakness and/or an inability to move his or her arm. As you might imagine, this weakness or inability to move one’s arm can cause profound and long-lasting disability as a result. Families with children who have been diagnosed with Erb’s Palsy face years of additional expenses ahead, including increased medical costs, physical therapy expenses and other accommodations. The children who are born with brachial plexus injuries experience physical and emotional pain and suffering. Their parents may experience emotional distress, lost wages, and other types of damages.

Giddens Law Firm, P.A.: Representing Mississippi Birth Injury Victims and Their Families

If your child was born with Erb’s Palsy or another type of brachial plexus injury, you may have many questions on your mind. The Mississippi Birth Injury Attorneys of the Giddens Law Firm, P.A. may be able to to help you. Please call our office today, at (601) 355-2022, to learn more.