G. Eric Nielson & Associates, LLC

Advances in medical technology have done wonders to prevent many complications during childbirth. There are situations, however, where complications arise because medical professionals fail to follow the appropriate standard of care. When this happens, otherwise preventable complications may lead to serious and costly conditions.

Erb's Palsy is a birth injury that results from damage to the brachial plexus nerves when the newborn's neck is stretched on one side. Such trauma can occur during the birth of a large baby, a breech birth, or when the medical professional uses a negligent amount of force to pull the newborn out of the birth canal. The baby's shoulder becomes lodged against the mother's pelvic bone and attempts to help the baby out stretch the neck and shoulder too much.

The signs of Erb's Palsy are evident very early on and can vary depending on the type of injury:

• No muscle control or feeling in the arm or hand
• Little muscle control over the wrist
• Little or no muscle control over the shoulder
• Little or no muscle control over the elbow

Depending on the extent of nerve damage, there may be treatment options. The more damage the newborn sustained, the most costly treatment will be. If the damage is very serious, the child may experience some loss of quality of life.

At G. Eric Nielson & Associates we specialize in recognizing and dealing with birth injury claims. It is important to have a skilled medical malpractice attorney to determine if your child suffers from Erb's Palsy and whether it was caused by medical negligence.