Obstetric brachial plexus injury
For transmitting signals from the hand to the spine, there is a group of muscles known as the brachial plexus. Damage to these groups of nerves is among the most common injuries that occur at birth. According to NCBI, the injuries are severe, and the damage is permanent. The injuries result from the mechanical force used in delivery, especially in cases where the shoulders get wedged under the pelvic bone.
In many cases, the force to remove the wedged shoulders produces too much traction between the shoulders and the head and thus the disconnection. With the too much traction, get damaged in the process. According to HSS, the excessive traction frees the shoulder from the head and leaves the roots of the nerves completely severed. In most instances, the affected nerves are C6, C5, and C7. The damaged nerves will cause the infants to rupture injuries and suffer avulsion. Without surgery, there is a chance that the injuries will not get recovered. In the surgery, the nerves will get reconnected to retain minimal movement.
There are numerous forms of brachial plexus, and the wounds will vary depending on the traction level suffered by the baby. The most common form of this injury, yet the easiest to cure is known as neurotmesis. It happens when the continuity of the nerve gets disrupted. Infants with this injury have no chance of recovering.
The permanence of this injury leads to numbness, weakness, and paralysis on the arm and shoulders. It is often the consequence of negligence when the doctor uses too much force at birth. Its biggest downside is that it only gets diagnosed after birth.