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A rare birth injury condition related to erbs palsy is Klumpke's paralysis which often shows itself as a claw hand where the arm is fixed in a palm up position and the weakened wrist and fingers are overly-extended.
An American neuroanatomist, Augusta Dejerine-Klumpke, who married a French neurologist and pursued her career in Paris in the late 19th Century, identified the condition, which is a partial paralysis of the brachial plexus nerves usually resulting from shoulder dystocia and affecting the lower arm.
Erb's palsy leads to weakness or disablement of the upper arm whereas Klumpke's is caused by damage to a different set of nerves connecting the shoulder and arm. It often involves a weakness of wrist and hand muscles rather than the more severe damage associated with the Erb's condition.
In both cases, pulling a baby from the birth canal by an arm is the usual cause of the injury
The risk of this birth accident occurring needs to be recognised by medical staff where there may be intervention in a natural birth for a number of reasons. Apart from the occurrence of foetal distress and the need for a swift delivery, a large baby or mother with a small pelvis or suffering from gestational diabetes can be indicators of potential for shoulder dystocia.
Breech birth, a maternal history of large-weight babies, genetic or other medical factors, such as overdue, advanced maternal age and excessive weight gain could all be indications to alert an obstetrician to the potential for a shoulder dystocia to occur.
Precautions to prevent the likelihood of Klumpke's paralysis occurring include close monitoring of an at-risk mother and delivery by caesarean section rather than allowing a natural delivery at full term.
Although there is no specific treatment to ease the condition, physiotherapy can be of benefit, particularly in the early stages, and, occasionally, surgery may be offered to a victim, especially if a nerve has been severed.
Aside from childbirth, injury to the lower brachial plexus may be caused in an older child or adult if they have hung by one arm, for example, to prevent falling from a tree.
Doctors are trained to be aware of the possibility of Klumpke's paralysis occurring and there are various proven methods of easing a baby's shoulders from the birth canal to minimise the chance of damage but if a mother feels her child has been unnecessarily damaged by the actions or neglect of a health professional, there may well be grounds for seeking a compensation payment for the medical negligence which she and the baby have suffered.
YouClaim for a Klumpke's paralysis claim
With many years of helping families to make justified claims for birth accidents, YouClaim is in prime position to advise and represent victims wherever they live in the UK.
If your family has been affected by a birth injury, you can contact us ion confidence and be assured of sympathetic, yet professional, attention. All our lawyers are monitored by the Solicitors Regulation Agency and have the highest standards.
To find out more about making a personal injury claim relating to Klumpke's paralysis, you can call our freephone number 0800 10 757 95 or use this webpage to give us brief details and begin the process.
