There are many difficulties that can arise during childbirth that leave an infant with a last disorder, and Erb’s palsy is one of the most troublesome.

The condition, also known as Brachial Plexus Paralysis, can affect anything up to five primary nerves that provide feeling and movement in a person’s arms.

In some cases, paralysis caused by Erb’s palsy resolves itself over a period of time, usually taking a number of months, but many sufferers have to undergo rehabilitative therapy to assist the healing process, while others have to go under the surgeon’s knife.

Causes of Erb’s Palsy

While injuries of a similar nature to Erb’s palsy can be caused by a variety of traumatic incidents, including a fall onto one’s side in which the nerves inside the arm are violently stretched, it is true that dystocia during childbirth is the most common cause of the disorder.

During the birth of some babies, the infant’s head and neck get pulled over to one side while the shoulders are passing through the birth canal. This problem can occur when too much pressure is put on the baby’s raised arms during a feet-first, or breech, delivery, or when a nurse or midwife pulls too hard on the baby’s shoulders during a head-first delivery.

How to spot Erb’s palsy

Erb’s palsy causes feeling in the affected arm to be lost, and the arm muscles – the deltoid, the bicep and the brachialis – are paralysed, leading to atrophy. An Erb’s palsy sufferer will display an arm handing down by the side of their body that has been rotated medially. The forearm will be held straight out and the hand twisted around. The resulting position of the arm is known as the ‘waiter’s tip’ deformity, due to the hand appearing to be held out with the fingers in a cupped position. This is caused by the atrophy of the bicep.

The victim will be unable to lift the arm at all. Erb’s palsy sufferers lose the use of their arm entirely, as bending at the wrist and elbow is completely restricted by the condition.

Making a claim for compensation after suffering Erb’s palsy

Because in many cases the onset of Erb’s palsy begins when a nurse or midwife applies excessive pressure during childbirth, there are situations where a sufferer has a valid claim for compensation. While midwives and nurses work extremely hard to ensure that childbirth deliveries go as smoothly as possible, there are occasions when a lack of proper training or a misjudgement in the use of force leads to severe injury to the baby being delivered.

The cost of treating Erb’s palsy can escalate very quickly even in the very early life of a child. Rehabilitative therapies do not come cheap and if surgery is required there may be a cost involved. If your child has suffered the ordeal of Erb’s palsy, you can speak to a qualified medical solicitor for advice.