We’ve come a long way since children used to be delivered at home. Medical science has determined a lot more about proper diet, sanitation, risk factors for various illnesses, and proper pre- and post-natal care than it knew a few decades ago. However mistakes may happen even in a hospital delivery room, and doctors, caregivers, and delivery staff may inadvertently harm or injury a newborn, causing them to suffer nerve damage, physical trauma, or even paralysis.
Erb’s palsy is an injury that can develop when the nerves that control movement and sensation in the upper arm sustain damage during or soon after delivery. If the nerves in the brachial plexus network are stretched, torn, or pinched, the affected child may suffer weakness or an inability to use the arms, hands, or fingers. Families in Jacksonville, Florida may call the Birth Injury Lawyers Group at (800) 222-9529 for possible assistance with Erb’s palsy cases from a Jacksonville Erbs palsy lawyer.
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More on Erb’s Palsy
Roughly 0.9 to 2.6 out of every 1,000 live births may result in Erb’s palsy. It is a type of brachial plexus injury, and these nerves may sustain damage in a number of ways. Birth-related nerve injuries may be caused when a baby’s neck, head, or shoulders are stretched too far to one side or the other during delivery. This may happen if the baby is forced into a compromised position by a doctor or another member of a delivery team to expedite delivery to avoid complications such as brain cell death.
The symptoms and effects of Erb’s palsy may vary from person to person based on the severity, location, and extent of the injuries sustained. Some patients may recover within months, some require regular treatments such as therapy or medication, and others may require surgery as a last resort.
To determine the possible extent and implications of an Erb’s palsy case, discuss your child’s health with his or her doctor and initiate the recommended methods of treatment as soon as possible. This may give your child’s nerves have a chance to heal and hopefully recover over time.
You may also speak to an Erb’s palsy or birth injury lawyer. The costs of treatment can quickly add up and you may be faced with substantial medical bills, which may be unfair if the injuries that your child has suffered were the result of the negligence by your child’s delivery team.
Call the Birth Injury Lawyers Group at (800) 222-9529 for a free case evaluation and to better understand your legal options. A Jacksonville Erbs palsy lawyer may be able to walk you through everything you need to know about Erb’s palsy, from what costs to expect to how we may determine whether or not medical malpractice or negligence contributed to your child’s injuries.
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Erb’s Palsy Treatments
The Erb’s palsy treatments that your child’s doctor recommends may be based on the extent and severity of the nerve damage that your child sustained. They may also take into account the different types of care available in your area, whether or not you have insurance coverage or the financial resources to pay for specific interventions, and how well your child responds to different types of care.
Common treatments for Erb’s palsy may include:
Therapy
Different types of therapy may be used to help patients recover from or overcome specific issues or to improve function and health in some other way. For example, physical therapy may be used to heal and rebuild stretched or damaged nerves. Occupational therapy may be used to help teach the patient specific skills and improve coordination. Hydrotherapy is also becoming increasingly common. It uses a low-gravity environment to reduce the stress and pressure on your child’s limbs and help them rebuild strength and flexibility.
Surgery
Severe cases of Erb’s palsy may require surgery, as do cases that do not show any functional recovery using therapy. That said, because it is invasive and often expensive, surgery is usually a last resort for Erb’s palsy and is only used when the patient suffers from split or torn nerves. Surgical treatments that may help a patient recover from a brachial plexus injury include nerve grafts and decompression procedures.
The recovery timeline for Erb’s palsy may range from a few months for mild cases to a lifetime of slow and steady progress based on the severity of the injuries.
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Why You may Need a Lawyer
The birth of a child is a unique time that may be both apprehensive and exhilarating. The euphoria of the parents may quickly turn into anxiety if the mother needs to undergo an emergency delivery, and the situation can become even more dire if your child sustains a birth injury during the progress.
The most important thing is that your child is safe and healthy, but when birth injuries occur that may have long-term effects, parents may wonder about what might happen if their child is not treated, how treatments are to be paid for, and who was responsible for the issues or complications that caused the birth injury in the first place.
If your child was diagnosed with Erb’s palsy or suffered a birth injury, you are not alone. The team at the Birth Injury Lawyers Group have assisted families facing the same circumstances and a Jacksonville Erbs palsy lawyer may be able to help you with all of the following:
- Obtaining a formal diagnosis of your child’s condition to confirm the presence or absence of Erb’s palsy.
- Determining the extent and location of your child’s injuries.
- Obtaining additional evidence to determine whether or not medical negligence had a hand in causing your child’s injuries.
- If medical negligence was involved, obtaining a formal statement from a medical professional to that effect. This is required in many states before you may issue a letter of intent to sue and file a malpractice claim.
- Interviewing hospital staff who cared for the mother or her child.
- Creating a recovery plan for your child to help you get back on the track to recovery as soon as possible.
Research has found that nerve injuries may only recover if the right treatments are used within specific time frames, so it is important that you get things started as soon as possible. Call the Birth Injury Lawyers Group at (800) 222-9529 so that we may start to manage your case.
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