Birth Injuries: Erb's Palsy Symptoms
Erb's Palsy (Brachial Plexus) affects around one or two babies in every thousand born. Loss of feeling and partial or complete paralysis usually result from all types of such injury. However, the outcome and restoration of movement and feeling is very much dependant on how severe the actual injury is and what treatments are possible.
There are four possible injuries that can result from the damage sustained to the nerves within the brachial plexus. Babies can suffer from one or more of these.
Neurapraxia: This is the most common form of Erb's Palsy and happens when the nerves are stretched resulting in shock to the nerves. However, this type of injury does not tear the nerves and usually heals within a few months by itself. Such an injury is common in adults during sports and causes a distinctive burning or stinging sensation.
Neuroma: This form or the condition happens when a stretch injury to the nerve fibres results in scarring. The scar tissue then puts pressure on the healthy nerves and often partial recovery is the end result.
Rupture: A rupture injury is a serious problem and happens when a stretch injury tears the nerve apart; this type of injury requires appropriate medical intervention as it will not heal unaided. Treatment may involve taking a nerve graft from another of the child's nerves and using it to help repair the damaged area.
Avulsion: This is the most serious type of stretch injury and means the nerve is torn from the spinal cord. Unfortunately it is not possible to repair such an injury although in a small number of cases some movement to the arm is possible if nerves taken from another muscle are used as donor nerves.
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Further Information about Erb's Palsy
Information about Erb's Palsy/ Brachial plexus is available from EPG
