every thousand babies<\/a> is affected by Erb’s palsy, also known as Brachial Plexus Birth Palsy. It’s a condition which affects nerves in the neck and can cause arm weakness and loss of motion.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe condition is often the result of a difficult delivery but it is also caused by neck trauma in the first few months of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you haven’t heard of the condition before, don’t worry – keep reading for five important facts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
1. A Difficult Delivery Can Cause The Condition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
During delivery, babies are pushed and pulled in a variety of ways. This can lead to stretching of the neck which may damage nerves and lead to Erb’s palsy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The risk is higher in smaller women as the birth canal tends to be smaller, making delivery more complicated. Additionally, if a baby is breech, then the arms will need to be pulled up over the head during delivery, which greatly increases the risk of birth injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While it’s most commonly caused by issues during delivery, any trauma to the neck can trigger Erb’s palsy in infants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Measures Can Be Taken to Reduce The Risk Before Giving Birth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In many cases, the issues that lead to a difficult delivery can be identified and accounted for before you give birth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, if your baby is breech then you might opt for a planned C-section. The same is true if your baby is much larger than the birth canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s really important to express any concerns you have about giving birth ahead of time so that you and your doctor can discuss alternative treatment plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. The Severity of The Condition Can Vary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Some babies will recover quickly from Erb’s palsy while others are left with symptoms for the rest of their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Starting treatment as soon as possible reduces the risk that your child will be affected by the condition long-term. You might see specialists including neurosurgeons, physical therapists, and orthopedic surgeons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every child is different, and treatment can range from basic physical therapy to surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Most Infants Recover With Physical Therapy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The majority of infants recover after a few months of physical therapy and other mild interventions, like massage. Therapy is often carried out during sessions and at home by the parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Massage can help stimulate blood flow and improve movement, and Botox injections are sometimes used to increase stimulation in the arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Surgery Might Be Necessary In Some Cases<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
For serious cases of Erb’s palsy, your child might need surgery. This is carried out during the first six months of life and is most common in the case of a rupture or avulsion, where the nerve is torn rather than stretched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Microsurgery is performed on the shoulder in an attempt to repair the nerve and restore function to the arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hiring an experienced Erb’s Palsy lawyer<\/a> can help you to cover the cost of treatment for your child.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy Is Knowing About Erb’s Palsy Important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Birth injuries can sometimes be avoided by careful planning ahead of delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, that’s not always possible, so knowing the implications and treatments options for conditions like Erb’s palsy will help you to make the best choices for your child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For more must-know facts, visit our blog today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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One in every thousand babies is affected by Erb’s palsy, also known as Brachial Plexus Birth Palsy. It’s a condition which affects nerves in the neck and can cause arm weakness and loss of motion. The condition is often the result of a difficult delivery but it is also caused by neck trauma in the first few […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4433"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4433"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4433\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4435,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4433\/revisions\/4435"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4433"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4433"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atyourbusiness.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}