Can an Erb’s Palsy Birth Injury Be Treated?
5September2016
5September2016
Erb’s palsy birth injury affects one or two out of every 1,000 infants born. The condition is caused by a physical injury during delivery and its symptoms range from mild to serious based on the gravity of the injury.
If your child has been diagnosed with an Erb’s palsy birth injury, contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney right away. He or she will help you determine whether your child’s birth injury was the result of medical negligence and whether you could win damages in a medical malpractice case.
In severe cases an Erb’s palsy diagnosis may lead to lifelong problems like permanent functional loss and abnormal muscle contractions. Mild cases, however, can clear up with treatment. Thankfully, about 70 to 80 percent of all Erb’s palsy injuries are healed within a year with proper and consistent treatment. The younger the infant is when treatment begins the better the chances of recovery. Parents should look for signs of improvement such as the infant making a fist or successfully gripping an object.
In most cases, infants with Erb’s palsy are best treated after a referral to a treatment center that provides multidisciplinary specialties. These types of treatment centers have a large team of specialists like neurologists, neurosurgeons, physical therapists, occupational therapists and orthopedic surgeons who can handle a range of complicated conditions.
If your infant cannot access a multidisciplinary treatment center, you should seek the services of a pediatric neurologist.
Erb’s palsy treatment options include:
Non-surgical treatments
Note: If neurological function doesn’t return by six to eight weeks after therapy or other forms of treatment is implemented, your physician may recommend surgery.
Surgical options
If your child’s physician recommends surgery, it should typically be done within the first three to six months after birth, unless your baby’s doctor recommends otherwise. Studies have found that postponing surgery until the baby is older may reduce the operation’s success rate.
The Seattle personal injury attorneys at Morrow Kidman Tinker Macey-Cushman, PLLC have years of experience representing families harmed by medical malpractice, birth injuries and other personal injuries. We seek justice for patients who have been harmed by preventable medical errors including wrongful death, catastrophic injuries and traumatic brain injuries in Seattle and across Washington State. There are no fees or expenses to file a personal injury case as we only receive payment if we recover damages on your behalf. Do not delay; personal injury claims come with a statute of limitations, which means they must be filed within a certain time frame of the injury.
Call us now at (206) 752-4366 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with one of our compassionate, experienced Seattle injury lawyers. We are ready to fight for you.