Cerebral and Erb’s Palsy in Maryland Birth Injury Cases

Cerebral palsy is an injury to the brain that causes a person to lose their movement and feelings in other parts of the body, typically of their arms and legs. In the instance of birth injury, this typically occurs from a lack of oxygen flowing to brain and that results in some form of brain damage.

Another cause could be any trauma to the skull or brain. Cerebral palsy can either be congenital or can be acquired. Congenital means the brain is damaged before or during the birth. And approximately, 85 to 90 percent of the cases of cerebral palsy, it occurred before or during the birth where the specific cause is unknown.

Below, a Maryland injury lawyer answers questions on cerebral and erb’s palsy in birth injury cases including how it is caused and how it happens. To learn more about this injury or to seek compensation, call today and schedule a free consultation with an MD birth defect attorney.

Causes of Cerebral Palsy

Well, there are several things that can explain how cerebral palsy can occur during the birth of a child such as the detachment of a placenta,  problems with the umbilical cords such as the cord wrapping around the baby’s neck so that it interrupts the flow of oxygen to the baby, and that could potentially cause brain damage to the child.

Any injury to the baby’s head and or brain during the birth could be a factor in causing cerebral palsy such as using forceps or vacuum to help birth the baby. Too much pressure put on the baby’s skull while it is still forming could cause damage to his or her brain.

Erb’s Palsy in Birth Injury Cases

Erb’s palsy is an injury to a person’s area of the body called the brachial plexus. And with the brachial plexus and that’s the network of nerves near the neck that controls the nerves running down a person’s arm.

These nerves provide movement and feeling to the shoulder, arms hands and fingers. A palsy, in essence means a weakness. So it’s a weakness of arms and shoulder. And essentially means that they can’t move the arm or shoulder.

While they might have some feeling on their fingers or hands. On average, about one or two of every thousand babies have this condition. It is simply caused by an unnecessary stretching of the baby’s neck during delivery.

Some of the symptoms that this may have happened can be revealed by how the baby was delivered. For example, was there a greater than usual tension upon the infant’s neck, shoulder or spine during the delivery?

Symptoms of Birth Injury-related Erb’s Palsy

Some of the symptoms that it may have happened are if one arm isn’t moving or isn’t responding to the stimulus of the doctors or nurses in the delivery room.

And that’s during the birth or the day of the birth. And then as the child remains in the hospital, if they can’t move their arms or shoulders, or if their arms or should are moved and then flapped back to their side, that can be an indication that they might have Erb’s palsy.