What’s Important To Know About Shoulder Dystocia & Brooklyn Erb’s Palsy

• Erb’s Palsy cases are cased that involve one arm or the other usually of a baby that is born and that arm has weakness either in the arm or shoulder or in severe cases all the way down the arm to the hands and fingers.
• Erb’s Palsy cases are almost always linked with something called a shoulder dystocia, but it is a consequence of that condition, not the cause.
• Dystocia means obstructed labor.  Shoulder dystocia means that the labor is obstructed because the infants shoulder is stuck.
• There are a variety of maneuvers that obstetricians are taught for how they can get the baby out without causing permanent injury.
• The obstetrician who has caught the baby’s head usually will pull down towards the floor, stretching the neck and the nerves in the neck in an effort to pop that shoulder free.  When that happens, there is injury to the nerves in the neck that run into the shoulder called the brachial plexus and when those nerve fibers tear sufficiently, they’re not going to heal.  If they are really badly torn, the arm is going to be useless or the hand may not work.
• The best case is that the arm will have some functionality, it will be a little weaker and there will be some difficulties performing activities of daily living.
• Erb’s Palsy cases are cases that we have handled with success here at Weinstein, Chase, Messinger & Peters.  We are experienced in dealing with these cases and I think we can help you.

This short Medical Malpractice Video was provided by Marc Chase, an experienced Brooklyn Medical Malpractice Attorney.