What if My Newborn or Child Has a Brachial Plexus Injury?

If your newborn is born with a Brachial Plexis injury, don’t be surprised that she may have to stay in the hospital for a few extra days. This is normal. Often, Doctors may not know at first that this is what the injury is.

Your Doctor or Neo-natal Specialist may first think the child has been born with a broken bone, such as a broken wrist or clavicle. It may take a few days to get the proper diaganosis. The same is true with a child. Although the child will not usually have to stay in the hospital very long like a newborn, Doctors might not recognize right away that the injury is to the nerves and not to the bones.

If your newborn has a Brachial Plexus injury, it is important that an experienced Medical Examiner evaluate her immediately. Be certain to do research on who you want this examiner to be. Look up qualifications, where and when the Medical Professional went to school, and be she or he or she is licensed.

Follow the Medical Examiner’s advice. If physical or occupational therapy is recommended, find a therapist right away, for newborn and child alike. Do not waste any time. Make sure that the therapist is covered by your insurance, as many are. When excercises are recommended by the Phyical or Occupational Therapist, make sure that they are done consistenly, as they can have results that can ultimatley lead to success.

If phyiscal and occupational therapy are not enough, your child or newborn may require surgery. The aforesaid Medical Professional will refer you to a Plastic Surgeon, Nuerologist, or other type of Surgeon right away who does special Bracial Plexis surgery. You will have to visit him or her to have your newborn or child evaluated. Expect to go about once every three months at first, and then you will taper off to once every six months if the surgery is not required. Follow up visits will be required. Stick to them.

The good news is that if you follow proper treatment for your newborn or child, there is a high chance of recovery for Brachial Plexus injuries, or how well your newborn or child will function or adapt to having this injury. There are a large number af Medical Professionals to help.

How does a Newborn or Child get a Brachial Plexus Injury?

A newborn can get a Brachial Plexus injury from a problem during the birth. This includes: Breech presentation, prolonged labor, or from the baby being stuck behind the mother’s pelvic bones. If the infant’s shouldlers get wedged between the Birth Canal, the force to get the baby free and born can also damage the nerves in the Brachial Plexus. Most often, the upper nerves are injured. This is called Erb’sPalsy . Total Brachial Plexus Birth Palsy is when the upper amd lower nerves are damaged.

Also, if the Brachial Plexus injury does not occur during birth, it may still occur when the child is an infant or is still young. According to Wikipedia, “The Brachial Plexus may be injured by falls from a height to the side of the head and shoulder, whereby the nerves of the Plexus are violently stretched…The Brachial Plexus may also be injured by direct violence or gunshot wounds, by violent traction on the arm, or by efforts reducting a dislocation of the shoulder.”

RISK FACTORS FOR CHILDREN:

1. Rough Playing

2. Sports Injuries

3. Someone pulling on the child’s arm or shoulder to hard

4. Over-strenuous exercise for age, including weight lifting

What is the Brachial Plexus?

The Brachial Plexus is a network of nerves located in the neck and armpit that conducts signals from the spinal cord to the shoulder, arm, wrist, hand, or fingers. Brachial Plexus injuries are caused by injuries, or lesions, to  those nerves.

This Blog is About the Health of Children Born With and Who Develop Brachial Plexus Injuries.

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