United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Hi,
At the age of 2 1/2 months, my nephew was diagnosticated of a bracchial parlysis to the right side. After xrays, an old rib fracture on the right side also was found.
The hospital and the doctors denied that it had happen during the delivery because it was a c-section delivery. I am trying to find studies or reports that it could happen, surely less frequently, but information that it could be the fact of a bad manipulation during the c-section delivery. For the moment, the parents are suspected to have done bad treatment on their baby.
Thank you.

I tried to do a search on it and only found "excessive traction" as the known cause for BPP.
Was the C-section and emergency? What were the circumstances surrounding the delivery?

I know they used it as an "excuse" during our trial (which we lost) that a brachial plexus injury could occure during a c-section, as well, but I haven't been able to find any documentation to support that either.

If you do find something, please post!

Peggy

HI,

Was wondering if you would get more responses if you posted on the General thread, as this one is used to post information for City Camp 2005.

Thanks, Karen

PS sorry I can't give you any information of what you are looking for as my child has a TBPI not an OBPI.

I work in l&d for high risk deliveries and my daughter has an obpi from a vaginal delivery. I go to all the c-sections during my shift for the hospital and help recover the baby. Twice I have seen children have injuries from the section, one went away after five minutes, baby was transverse and breach, very stuck. The second infant was sectioned emergently due to a torn placenta, mother and baby were in danger of very poor outcome. That infant was very bruised but was moving arm fully on second day (followed baby only because he required Nasal CPAP). Don't know if this helps.

I have heard of a BPI occurring during a c-section, but I know that it is very unlikely (though not impossible). I have no idea how many cases there have been or what the other surrounding circumstances were in those cases. I think it would be good to contact an attny who is well experienced with BPIs. I'm not sure how they can try to blame the parents for bad treatment and what that means. Are they trying to say that the parents did something to cause the injury? It should be pretty clear if it happened during birth or later based on how the baby was at birth. Did he have any movement in his arm/hand at birth? Does he now? BTW, I think someone else mentioned it in their reply, but I think you will get more feedback if you post this message on the general message board b/c this message board is only for camp-related info. and not too many people prob. read this board too often. I also wanted to mention that I think it's wonderful that as an aunt you're so concerned about your nephew.

~Tina

BTW, some, if not most, of the cases where a BPI might happen even with a c-section might be cases where a vaginal delivery was attempted and due to lack of success an emergency c-section was performed. In that case, the BPI might very well have actually occured during the attempt at a vaginal delivery. Do you know if this was an emergency c-section and if a vaginal delivery was attempted first? Also, it's not uncommon for drs / hospitals to try to cover up negligence.

~Tina