All through your pregnancy period, you have lived with a sense of anxiety along with the immense happiness of welcoming a new life in the world. Once your baby comes out in the world, this anxiety gets a bit higher as now you get more concerned about your baby and his health.

As parents, you just want him to be safe and sound. But there are certain things which may trigger tension. Though you might be making all efforts to ensure that your baby’s health stays safe, there are certain inevitable things that can turn the course of things. A newborn is prone to quite a few health disorders. Brachial plexus injury is one among them.

Let us here understand a bit more about it and see how it affects the newborn and what the ways to prevent it are. 

Understanding Brachial Plexus InjuryBrachial plexus injury is also known by some alternate names as Klumpke paralysis, Erb's palsy, Brachial palsy and Erb-Duchenne paralysis. It is concerned with loss of movement or weakness in baby’s arm. Brachial plexus injury occurs when nerves collection around shoulder, known as brachial plexus, get damaged at time of birth.

What causes this injury in newborns? The brachial plexus nerves get damaged if the delivery process stands to be difficult or complicated.  The injury can occur when:

• Baby’s head and neck pull toward the side as shoulders pass through birth canal
• Baby’s shoulders get pulled at the time of a head-first delivery
• Raised pressure on baby's raised at the time of a breech (feet-first) delivery
  
   

Forms of Brachial Plexus Injury in Babies  The injury has different forms and type generally depends on the quantity of arm paralysis. The different brachial plexus injury forms are:

• Injury affecting only the upper arm
• Injury affecting both upper and lower arm, it’s called Erb's palsy
• Injury affecting the hand, known as Klumpke paralysis
  
   

Factors Increasing the Risk of Brachial Plexus Injury

• A breech delivery
• Infant larger in size than average; it mostly happens when the mother is diabetic
• Complexity in delivering baby's shoulder when head has already come out
  
   

Symptoms of Brachial Plexus InjuryThe symptoms of it can either be seen immediately or in a little while after birth. The warning signs may include:

• No movement in infant’s upper or lower arm or hand
• Absence of Moro reflex on affected side
• Arm flexed (bent) at elbow
• Lessened grip on affected side
  
   

TreatmentFor the mild cases, a gentle massage of arm and different type of motion exercises can work effectively.   However, if the damage happens to be severe, or the condition fails to improve in initial few weeks; the baby may have to be evaluated by specialists.

Doctor can even suggest a surgery if baby’s affected muscles don’t get the strength back once he turns 3 - 6 months old.

ComplicationsUnusual muscle contractions (contractures) or muscle tightening

Permanent or partial loss of function of affected nerves. This can cause arm paralysis or arm weakness.

PreventionAs said, brachial plexus injury generally occurs due to a difficulty in delivery process. To prevent the same, it would be better to take measures that can cut down complications involved during delivery.

ConclusionBrachial plexus injury has become less common nowadays as the delivery procedures have improved. Cesarean delivery comes as the perfect solution in case of any complication during delivery. Though it reduces the injury risk, but doesn’t prevent it completely.