Erb's Palsy results during birth when a child is too large to pass easily through the birth canal and doctors have to pull the baby out physically. If too much force is exerted on the head during this process, the brachial nerves between the child's neck and shoulders can get damaged causing impairment or even paralysis of the arm on the affected side. Erb's Palsy is sometimes called brachial plexus injury or Klumpke paralysis depending on the severity of the condition.
Though it shares a common name, Erb's Palsy is very different from cerebral palsy which is caused by injuries to the brain or from abnormalities in the brain. The babies most at risk for Erb's Palsy are those that are larger than average compared to other babies. During delivery, its quite common for the shoulders of large babies to get stuck under the mother's pelvic bone causing damage to the brachial nerves.
Symptoms of Erb's Palsy
The symptoms of Erb's Palsy can vary but is almost always characterized by a general weakness of the arm on the affected side. One of the symptoms of Erb's Palsy is a lack of what is known as a Moro reflex which occurs when a baby is startled. Healthy newborns typically react by throwing out their hands, palms upward in a reflexive movement. A baby with Erb's Palsy usually is unable to reach outward with their hand in this manner at least on the side in which the brachial nerves are affected.
A lack of spontaneous arm movement is another common symptom of Erb's Palsy. Newborns with damaged brachial nerves tend to hold the damaged arm immobile, elbows bent and close to their bodies, unlike healthy children who move their arms freely in response to various external stimuli. Another common system is a complete lack of movement of either the upper arm or the lower arm on the affected side. In addition, doctors also sometimes determine if a child has symptoms of Erb's Palsy by checking how well the baby is able to grip objects with the hand on the affected side.A less common symptom of Erb's Palsy is when the baby's hand is completely paralyzed and the eyelid on the opposite side of the affected hand droops or is completely shut.
The content in this article is meant for informational purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice.