|
Erbs Palsy The condition
known as Erbs Palsy affects less than 1% of new born infants and is caused by
injury to the brachial plexus system of nerves. The brachial plexus nerves
emerge from the spinal cord and travel across the shoulder, along the arms to
the tips of the fingers and damage can affect the use of that arm or hand in
a number of different ways ranging from mild to severe and from temporary to
permanent. In the most severe cases the whole arm is rendered completely
paralysed.
This may be as a result of clinical negligence at birth
for allowing the baby’s head to be subjected to excessive trauma during
birth and delivery as any inappropriate traction on the head can strain
the brachial plexus nerves . This is usually because, at some point during
delivery, one or both of the baby’s shoulders becomes stuck (“shoulder
dystocia”). Compensation can be substantial dependent on the degree of
disability and claims for compensation usually fall into two main
categories;
·
failure to arrange a caesarean section in cases where
shoulder dystocia should have
been anticipated because the baby was unusually
large and/or the mother’s pelvis too
small
·
negligent handling of shoulder dystocia as a result of failure
to follow established
protocols such as manoeuvring and changing the
baby’s position, repositioning the
mother, applying pressure to the pubic area,
emergency caesarean section and deep
episiotomy cut. In exceptional circumstances it
can involve breaking the bay’s arm or
the mother’s pelvis.
CLICK HERE FOR ERB'S PALSY
CASE REPORT |
accident
claims
Enquiry Form