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Brachial plexus injuries during birth
Brachial plexus injuries affect the nerves in the shoulder, arm, hand, and fingers. These injuries can happen at birth if your baby is born breech and delivered bottom-first.
What is a brachial plexus injury?
If your child has sustained a brachial plexus injury during birth, you’ll understandably be anxious to understand what the impact may be on their health and wellbeing. The brachial plexus is a group of nerve fibres that send signals from your child’s spinal cord to their shoulders, arms and hands. During birth, pressure on your baby can sometimes damage these nerves.
Your child’s symptoms will depend on how severe the injury is, how close it is to their spinal cord and how quickly it is treated. Left untreated, it can cause several ongoing problems including brachial plexus palsy. This is a muscle weakness in their shoulder, arm or hand. Their shoulders may also not develop in the usual way as they grow. However, treatment is available and the team at HCA UK is expert at delivering the best possible outcomes for the babies in our care.
What are the symptoms of a brachial plexus injury?
In most cases, symptoms will appear shortly after birth. They can include:
- Weakness, limited movement or total paralysis of one arm
- Abnormal muscle contractions
- Your baby’s hand taking on a claw shape
In severe cases, your child’s brachial plexus nerves may have been ruptured or may have become disconnected from their spinal cord, known as avulsion. This can result in muscle weakness or a partial, or total, muscle paralysis.
How are brachial plexus injuries diagnosed?
If you notice that your baby has worrying symptoms, it’s best to discuss these with a consultant. They will assess your baby's motor function and range of movement, and see whether they have any issues with movement in certain muscles. They may also recommend that your baby has an X-ray to check whether their collarbone, also known as their clavicle, has been fractured.
How are brachial plexus injuries treated?
Once your child’s injury has been fully diagnosed, their consultant will work with a multidisciplinary team to develop the right treatment plan for their needs. This is likely to involve either nerve grafting or nerve transfer surgery. Nerve graft repair involves taking a graft from a healthy nerve and using it to bridge the gap in your child’s damaged nerve. Nerve transfer involves using the end of a healthy nerve to reattach the end of an injured one.
If the development of your child’s shoulder joint has been effected, their treatment may also include surgery to reshape the socket and help their arm bone sit correctly within it.
Our paediatric surgery consultants
At HCA UK, we work as part of a highly-skilled, multidisciplinary team, bringing together leading paediatric surgeons and consultants from a wide range of specialties. A number of our consultants hold prominent positions at London's top teaching hospitals and patients travel across the world to be treated by them.
Paediatric centres across the UK
You and your child can visit our paediatric orthopaedic consultants at The Portland Hospital. Some of our orthopaedic consultants and paediatricians can also be seen at our clinics in Chiswick, Golders Green, Elstree and at The Shard at London Bridge.
The Portland Hospital
205-209 Great Portland Street W1W 5AH London
Urgent Care Centre for Children at The Portland Hospital
234 Great Portland Street W1W 5QT London
Chiswick Outpatients
Bond House 347-353 Chiswick High Road W4 4HS London
Elstree Waterfront Outpatients
Beaufort House WD6 3BS Elstree
Golders Green Outpatients
Golders Green Outpatients and Diagnostic Centre NW11 9PY London
This content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.