Brachial plexus birth injuries occur when a newborn’s neck and shoulder nerves are stretched or torn during childbirth, often resulting in permanent nerve damage. Many of these injuries happen due to medical negligence, such as improper handling during delivery or failure to monitor the baby’s condition.
Families in Indiana whose children suffer from brachial plexus injuries can be eligible to file a birth injury lawsuit to recover compensation for medical care, therapy, and long-term needs.
What Is Brachial Plexus Birth Injury?
Brachial plexus birth injuries affect the nerve network located between the neck and shoulders. These nerves provide muscle control in the shoulder, chest, arms, hands, and fingers, as well as feeling in the upper limbs. Injuries normally happen during childbirth when the brachial plexus is compressed, stretched, or torn during a difficult delivery caused by a long labor, small birth canal, delivery complications, or a breech birth.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Symptoms of a brachial plexus birth injury include numbness, limpness in the arms, weak grip strength, and partial or complete lack of movement. Identifying the brachial plexus in newborns requires an accurate diagnosis from a specialist who treats these types of injuries. Diagnosis may include X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and nerve conduction studies that test nerve and muscle function.
Treatments
In cases where the nerves are stretched, a baby may regain normal movement and feeling in the arms without any treatments at all, while other babies may require further studies and physical therapy. If the nerves are torn, and outside of the spinal cord, surgery may be necessary to repair the damage.
In 10 to 20 percent of cases, the nerve roots are torn away from the spinal cord. When this occurs, damage cannot be repaired by surgical procedures. Damaged tissue must be surgically replaced with nerve grafts, nerve transfers, or muscle and tendon transfers. In severe cases, brachial plexus birth injury can cause more severe health conditions:
- Erb’s Palsy – Injury to C5, C6, and C7 vertebrae create weak muscles of the shoulder and biceps. Physical therapy is usually started at 3 weeks of age to prevent limb stiffness, muscle atrophy, and shoulder dislocation.
- Horner’s Syndrome – Injury to the T2 and T4 region may cause more severe damage including a smaller eye pupil, drooping eyelid, and diminished sweat glands on the affected side of the face.
Legal Options for Indiana Families
Brachial plexus birth injuries, which occur in approximately 1.5 of every 1,000 births, can have lasting effects on a child’s health and development. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to give your child the best chance for recovery.
If your child’s injury was caused by medical negligence during delivery, you have the right to pursue legal action. An experienced Indiana birth injury lawyer can carefully review medical records, consult with specialists, and determine whether proper standards of care were followed. Through a medical malpractice lawsuit, families can seek compensation for:
- Necessary medical treatments and surgical procedures
- Ongoing therapies, including physical or occupational therapy
- Future medical costs related to the child’s injury
- Pain, suffering, and emotional distress experienced by both the child and family
Taking legal action not only helps hold negligent healthcare providers accountable but also ensures your family has the resources to support your child’s long-term care and recovery.
