Brachial Plexus Injury

Birth Injury Lawyers in Little Rock, Arkansas

The brachial plexus is the group of nerves that stretches from your neck to your spinal cord. During childbirth, certain complications – such as shoulder dystocia – can prevent your child from passing safely through the birth canal. When this occurs, the bending of your child’s neck or the twisting of their head can damage or even sever this delicate bundle of nerves.

If the brachial plexus is severely injured at birth, your child can end up partially or totally paralyzed. However, even when the brachial plexus only suffers minimal damage, your child may need surgical treatment and rehabilitation to recover from their birth injury.

Preventing Brachial Plexus Injury

During your pregnancy, your doctor should be on the lookout for signs of potential birth complications. Not all birth problems can be detected early, but your doctor is still responsible for carefully monitoring signs like:

• Fetal weight
• Maternal weight gain
• Prolonged labor

Your physician and attending staff should pay close attention to these risk factors both before and during your labor. Failure to detect these risk factors – or failure to respond appropriately when complications occur – can make your doctor liable for any birth injury your child suffers during delivery.

Consequences of Brachial Plexus Injury

Some newborns are able to recover from brachial plexus injuries – such as Erb’s palsy – without needing medical intervention. If your child is able to completely bend their elbow by the age of six months, this usually means they have avoided major damage. However, even children who improve over time may need surgical intervention later in life, and other developmental delays caused by brachial plexus injury can hamper their growth.

If your child suffered a brachial plexus injury during their birth in the Little Rock, Arkansas area, please contact The Duncan Firm today to schedule a free case evaluation with one of our experienced Little Rock brachial plexus injury lawyers. We can help you recover the compensation you need to provide for your child’s future.