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A brachial plexus birth injury can affect a newborn’s ability to move the shoulder, arm, wrist, or hand. Some children recover substantial function as injured nerves heal. Others experience lasting weakness, restricted movement, differences in arm development, or permanent impairment requiring continued therapy or surgical care.
Parents may first notice that their baby does not move one arm normally. Others may remember a difficult delivery involving shoulder dystocia, several delivery maneuvers, or an assisted birth. Those circumstances can point to problems in how the birth was managed, and the delivery records can show exactly what the healthcare team did.
Snyder & Wenner, P.C. has represented Arizona patients and families in serious medical malpractice matters for more than 40 years. The firm focuses on complex cases involving substantial and lasting harm and approaches them through careful medical-record analysis and trial preparation.
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The brachial plexus is a network of nerves that begins near the spinal cord and extends through the neck and shoulder into the arm. These nerves control movement and sensation in the shoulder, arm, forearm, wrist, and hand.
A neonatal brachial plexus injury occurs when excessive force during delivery stretches, tears, or ruptures some of these nerves.
The pattern of impairment depends on which nerves were affected and the severity of the injury.
Erb’s palsy is one form of brachial plexus injury involving primarily the upper portion of the nerve network. Other injuries may involve additional nerve roots and affect a larger portion of the arm or hand.
A nationwide study examining more than 11 million U.S. births identified 17,334 cases of neonatal brachial plexus palsy, an incidence of at least 1.51 cases per 1,000 live births.
Brachial plexus injuries most often occur during difficult deliveries.
One condition often associated with these injuries is shoulder dystocia. Shoulder dystocia occurs when the baby’s head has been delivered but one shoulder becomes positioned behind the mother’s pelvic bone, making delivery of the body more difficult.
Healthcare providers may need to use specific maneuvers to release the shoulder.
Shoulder dystocia is a known obstetric emergency, and delivery teams are expected to recognize it quickly and respond with established maneuvers. If a child develops significant brachial plexus impairment, a medical and legal review may examine:
A thorough investigation reconstructs the complete delivery, including any use of forceps, vacuum extraction, or traction, to show how and when the nerves were injured.
Recovery varies considerably.
Some injuries involve stretching of the nerves and may improve during infancy as nerve function returns. More severe damage can result in lasting weakness or loss of movement.
Factors that may influence recovery include:
A child may receive physical or occupational therapy to preserve joint movement, promote strength, and reduce the risk of stiffness.
Other care may include:
Because recovery can develop gradually, the child’s long-term condition may not be clear immediately after birth.
Repeated examinations can help determine whether function is improving or whether impairment is likely to persist.
Erb’s palsy is a particular type of brachial plexus injury.
It generally affects nerves in the upper portion of the brachial plexus and may result in weakness involving the shoulder and upper arm.
A broader brachial plexus injury may involve additional nerves and affect:
This distinction can be important when evaluating a child’s prognosis.
A child with a relatively limited upper-nerve injury may have different treatment needs and recovery prospects from a child with extensive nerve damage affecting most of the arm.
Neurological examinations, imaging, nerve studies, and changes in movement over time can help physicians understand the extent of the injury.
A brachial plexus injury supports a medical malpractice claim when the evidence shows that a healthcare provider failed to meet the accepted standard of care and that this conduct caused or contributed to the nerve injury.
Depending on the circumstances, an investigation may examine whether providers:
Causation is built from the delivery record. The timing of the shoulder dystocia, the maneuvers used, the force applied, and the pattern of nerve damage found after birth can show how the provider’s handling of the delivery caused the injury.
Arizona law establishes time limits for medical malpractice actions.
Under A.R.S. § 12-542, an action for injury to another person, including a medical malpractice action, generally must be commenced within two years after the cause of action accrues.
Claims involving children may require additional analysis under Arizona law. Claims belonging to parents may also be legally distinct from those belonging to the injured child.
Families should therefore obtain guidance based on their particular circumstances rather than assume every claim connected to the same birth follows one filing deadline.
Earlier evaluation may also help preserve labor and delivery records, document what parents remember about the birth, and follow the child’s medical progress as treatment continues.
If your child experienced a serious brachial plexus injury during birth in Chandler, Snyder & Wenner can review the pregnancy and delivery records and explain whether the available evidence supports further investigation.
A brachial plexus birth injury involves damage to nerves extending from the neck and shoulder into the arm. Depending on which nerves are affected, a newborn may experience weakness, reduced movement, diminished sensation, or paralysis in part of the arm.
Possible signs include limited movement of one arm, shoulder weakness, difficulty bending the elbow, reduced grip, diminished reflexes, or a noticeable difference in movement between the arms.
Yes. Erb’s palsy is a form of brachial plexus injury that usually affects the upper portion of the nerve network and can cause weakness in the shoulder and upper arm.
Shoulder dystocia occurs when the baby’s head has been delivered but one shoulder becomes lodged behind the mother’s pelvic bone. Healthcare providers may need to use specific maneuvers to complete delivery.
When a baby’s shoulder becomes stuck, the delivery team must free it using recognized maneuvers. Pulling on the baby’s head, or using force before those maneuvers are attempted, can stretch or tear the brachial plexus nerves.
A brachial plexus injury is medical negligence when providers fail to meet the applicable standard of care and that conduct causes or contributes to the injury. Examples can include applying pressure to the top of the uterus during a shoulder dystocia, skipping recognized maneuvers before using traction, or failing to prepare for a delivery despite a large estimated fetal weight.
Relevant records may include prenatal information, fetal-size estimates, labor and delivery records, shoulder dystocia documentation, descriptions of delivery maneuvers, newborn examinations, neurological assessments, imaging, nerve studies, and therapy records.
Yes. Some children regain substantial or full movement as the affected nerves recover. Others experience lasting weakness or limited range of motion. The prognosis depends largely on the location and severity of the nerve damage.
Treatment may include physical therapy, occupational therapy, range-of-motion exercises, neurological or orthopedic monitoring, diagnostic testing, or surgical evaluation when significant impairment persists.
Our attorneys review the pregnancy and delivery records to reconstruct what occurred and determine whether the medical evidence supports further investigation. The review may address delivery circumstances, the likely mechanism of nerve damage, the applicable standard of care, causation, and the child’s long-term needs.
