One of the more troubling types of Cerebral Palsy is Erb’s Palsy or Brachial Palsy. This type of disorder often is linked to problems that arose during the labor and delivery of a newborn.
Erb’s Palsy can have a wide range of severity depending on the number of nerves that are injured. Weakness in the affected arm and hand can occur, and paralysis can result in severe cases. Often Erb’s Palsy results in an injury to the shoulder or neck that occurs during the process of birth.
Where there is a mild stretching of the nerve fibers, a full recovery is likely. But movement can be severely restricted when many fibers tear. In cases involving a complete tearing of the fibers, the nerve cannot repair itself, resulting in paralysis.
Erb’s Palsy breaks down into four different types of nerve injury:
- Neuroma occurs when scar tissue presses on the nerve
- Avulsion can result when a nerve is completely severed from the spine
- In a neurapraxia there is slight damage to the nerve and the tear or rip may heal on its own
- Rupture results when a nerve rips but does not separate from the spine completely.
If your infant suffers any type of trauma during childbirth do not hesitate to reach out to specialists as soon as possible. Prompt intervention can increase the likelihood of a full recovery. Should your child suffer any type of birth injury, or be diagnosed with Erb’s Palsy, do not hesitate to speak to an attorney about the possibility of bringing a birth injury lawsuit.