Common Injury
Common Injury
My husband told me today that his friend and business associate told him that his brother and sister in law's baby has a BPI. She's 8 months old and has a pretty severe injury. It's amazing to me how common this thing is considering no one's ever heard of it. It made me so sad to hear this news...I wish there were some way to make it stop!
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brandonsmom
- Posts: 1401
- Joined: Mon Nov 22, 2004 4:43 pm
Re: Common Injury
IT is a common injury however, I think a lot of times people are afraid to ask if you or someone else has a BPI. This injury occurs too much, It needs to be stopped !!! GAYLE
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Tina. Lars
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Thu Sep 07, 2006 1:03 pm
Re: Common Injury
Hello everyone
Your so right this injury has been around long enough and every obstetric doctor is aware of the risks......hopefully when our children are grown this will be something un heard of......
Your so right this injury has been around long enough and every obstetric doctor is aware of the risks......hopefully when our children are grown this will be something un heard of......
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Kath
- Posts: 3242
- Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2002 4:11 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: I am ROBPI, global injury, Horner's Syndrome. No surgery but PT started at 2 weeks old under the direction of New York Hospital. I wore a brace 24/7 for the first 11 months of my life. I've never let my injury be used as an excuse not to do something. I've approach all things, in life, as a challenge. I approach anything new wondering if I can do it. I tried so many things I might never have tried, if I were not obpi. Being OBPI has made me strong, creative, more determined and persistent. I believe that being obpi has given me a very strong sense of humor and compassion for others.
- Location: New York
Re: Common Injury
I was shocked when I found out I was not one of the very few with this "rare" birth injury.
I am 66 and still can't believe that we can put men on the Moon and a baby can't be delivered safely.
I was so scared when my daughter had her children.
I know my family all have big babies even if we gain only a few pounds when pregnant.
My OB/GYN spoke to me about it and said he feels that every birth should be approached as if it's a possible SD delivery.
He delivered three of my grandchildren all over 9 lbs. safely. The last one was 9 lb. 9 oz.
Kath ( adult/robpi)
I am 66 and still can't believe that we can put men on the Moon and a baby can't be delivered safely.
I was so scared when my daughter had her children.
I know my family all have big babies even if we gain only a few pounds when pregnant.
My OB/GYN spoke to me about it and said he feels that every birth should be approached as if it's a possible SD delivery.
He delivered three of my grandchildren all over 9 lbs. safely. The last one was 9 lb. 9 oz.
Kath ( adult/robpi)
Kath robpi/adult
Kathleen Mallozzi
Kathleen Mallozzi
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Carolyn J
- Posts: 3424
- Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2004 1:22 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: LOBPI. I am 77 yrs old and never had a name for my injuries until 2004 when I found UBPN at age 66.
My injuries are: LOBPI on upper body and Cerebrael Palsy on the lower left extremities. The only intervention I've had is a tendon transplant from my left leg to my left foot to enable flexing t age 24 in 1962. Before that, my foot would freeze without notice on the side when wearing heels AND I always did wear them at work "to fit in" I also stuttered until around age 18-19...just outgrew it...no therapy for it. Also suffered from very very low self esteem; severe Depression and Anxiety attacks started at menopause. I stuffed emotions and over-compensated in every thing I did to "fit in" and be "invisible". My injuries were Never addressed or talked about until age 66. I am a late bloomer!!!!!
I welcome any and all questions about "My Journey".
There is NO SUCH THING AS A DUMB QUESTION.
Sharing helps to Heal. HUGS do too. - Location: Tacoma WA
- Contact:
Re: Common Injury
Hello all,
I'm 68 & still am shocked at the enormenity of this "rare" Injury. I believe there is more "Awareness" every day, now.
HUGS,
Carolyn J
LOBPI
I'm 68 & still am shocked at the enormenity of this "rare" Injury. I believe there is more "Awareness" every day, now.
HUGS,
Carolyn J
LOBPI
Carolyn J
Adult LOBPI
Adult LOBPI
Re: Common Injury
I guess I just need to chime in on this one, too. I'm 57 years old. Until last year I was the only person I knew with a BPI. I didn't even know the term BPI, although I knew the term Erb's Palsy, having learned that when I was 17.
When I first came to UBPN I was moved to tears that I wasn't alone anymore. There are other adults who were injured at birth, as I was. However, I was shocked that babies were still being injured this way. After all these years, OB/GYNs still seem to think that this injury is no big deal. It will heal itself in a few months. With that attitude on the part of the OB/GYNs, no wonder so many babies are still being injured!
This is why UBPN is so important. In numbers, there is strength. Together we can reach out and teach doctors and pregnant women the risk factors for shoulder dystocia and Brachial Plexus injury. Hopefully, in the future, the incidence of babies being injured this way will decline until NO more babies are injured this way.
Joanie
P.S. Sorry if this post sounds a bit angry. I guess I am a bit angry.
When I first came to UBPN I was moved to tears that I wasn't alone anymore. There are other adults who were injured at birth, as I was. However, I was shocked that babies were still being injured this way. After all these years, OB/GYNs still seem to think that this injury is no big deal. It will heal itself in a few months. With that attitude on the part of the OB/GYNs, no wonder so many babies are still being injured!
This is why UBPN is so important. In numbers, there is strength. Together we can reach out and teach doctors and pregnant women the risk factors for shoulder dystocia and Brachial Plexus injury. Hopefully, in the future, the incidence of babies being injured this way will decline until NO more babies are injured this way.
Joanie
P.S. Sorry if this post sounds a bit angry. I guess I am a bit angry.
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Kath
- Posts: 3242
- Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2002 4:11 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: I am ROBPI, global injury, Horner's Syndrome. No surgery but PT started at 2 weeks old under the direction of New York Hospital. I wore a brace 24/7 for the first 11 months of my life. I've never let my injury be used as an excuse not to do something. I've approach all things, in life, as a challenge. I approach anything new wondering if I can do it. I tried so many things I might never have tried, if I were not obpi. Being OBPI has made me strong, creative, more determined and persistent. I believe that being obpi has given me a very strong sense of humor and compassion for others.
- Location: New York
Re: Common Injury
Joanie
You don't sound angry!
I was about to give you a round of applause!
I always knew I had Erb's Palsy and how it happened.
I was told the doctor pulled too hard and severed a nerve in my shoulder.
I was also told he did it to save both our lives...
There was never a time when I did not know the doctor made a mistake.
It was not a secret because people did not sue when I was a baby so why hide it?
I get upset when I think about all the children and how unnecessary it is.
Kath (robpi/adult 66 )
You don't sound angry!
I was about to give you a round of applause!
I always knew I had Erb's Palsy and how it happened.
I was told the doctor pulled too hard and severed a nerve in my shoulder.
I was also told he did it to save both our lives...
There was never a time when I did not know the doctor made a mistake.
It was not a secret because people did not sue when I was a baby so why hide it?
I get upset when I think about all the children and how unnecessary it is.
Kath (robpi/adult 66 )
Kath robpi/adult
Kathleen Mallozzi
Kathleen Mallozzi
Re: Common Injury
Kath,
I'll take that round of applause. Thank you.
My parents were also told that the doctor saved both our lives. I think the doctor told them that to insure that they would not sue him. However, you are also right that people didn't sue so much back then. I don't think it would have entered my parents' minds to sue.
Joanie
I'll take that round of applause. Thank you.
My parents were also told that the doctor saved both our lives. I think the doctor told them that to insure that they would not sue him. However, you are also right that people didn't sue so much back then. I don't think it would have entered my parents' minds to sue.
Joanie
Re: Common Injury
I think that the dr's do pull on the baby to save the life of the baby; however I just don't understand how a professional could let a situation get to that point! I know people say a lot of dr's do too many c-sections...but I personally would prefer to err of the of caution, rather than push something to the point where lives are even at stake! I would love to know if this condition is discussed and taught about in med school or in the training of OBs. Why don't they know what it is? Or do they and just don't say anything to cover their own ____? Mine never told me what it was....my pediatrician thank goodness knew what it was. He knew, unfortunately b/c there is another boy that he sees that has BPI....
Joanie...I say GET ANGRY! We should be angry...
Joanie...I say GET ANGRY! We should be angry...
Re: Common Injury
They do learn about it in medical school, but usually only from textbooks or theory. I think the vast majority of OB/GYNs have never seen a severe shoulder dystocia at all, and except in the busiest hospitals it's unlikely that they ever saw one during training, nevermind got "hands on" experience in resolving it.
There is no other branch of medicine where a doctor is expected to be able to deal with a severely time-dependent, lifethreatening emergency with virtually no hands-on training or practice! Can you imagine if all the doctors working an emergency room only knew about CPR from a book and maybe a powerpoint presentation?? How crazy would that be?? And yet today's OB/GYNs are expected to handle an even worse emergency with little or no practical training.
What gives me the most hope is these new, high-tech birth/SD simulators that various groups are making and distributing to training programs. They aren't perfect, but its a really big start. At the SD/BPI conference last May, I met an MBA who was there to learn about the new simulators in order to implement them as part of training to handle SDs in the OB/GYN residency at Northwestern. Hurray for progress!!
C-sections are not the answer. Don't forget... there are many, many babies who don't have any advance risk factors for SD. Sometimes it does happen very suddenly and without warning. Hopefully, as more and more programs realize that there *are* maneuvers that can be effective (but need a certain comfort level and advanced training to implement) these shoulder dystocias will be resolved quickly and without injury.
Until very recently, the general opinion among even BPI specialists was that this injury resolves "completely" 90% of the time. This statistic was published by various centers as recently 1998 (including a TCH publication)! Now that the real long-term disability rate is becoming clear, the pressure is on for doctors to not only save the life of the mother and child (of course their first priority) but to do it without disabling the child for life.
For so long OB/GYNs have believed that the risk of ill effects from BPI is so very small, it is nothing compared to saving the child's life. Now they are starting to realize that not only will correct maneuvers possibly save the child from a lifetime of disability from BPI, but *also* have a better chance of saving the child's life by resolving the shoulder dystocia effectively! The problem with "just haul on the baby's head" to get them out is that it doesn't always work! Many times, yes, it does get the baby out, but with injury. But for really bad shoulder dystocia, it doesn't even work and can make the child even more stuck. The key to solving the OBPI problem is in recognizing that maneuvers which help protect from BPI are *also* more effective at resolving shoulder dystocia and get the baby out safer, period. It is not necessary to choose saving the child's life over sacrificing their arm. With proper preparation and training, that choice need never be made at all.
Kate
There is no other branch of medicine where a doctor is expected to be able to deal with a severely time-dependent, lifethreatening emergency with virtually no hands-on training or practice! Can you imagine if all the doctors working an emergency room only knew about CPR from a book and maybe a powerpoint presentation?? How crazy would that be?? And yet today's OB/GYNs are expected to handle an even worse emergency with little or no practical training.
What gives me the most hope is these new, high-tech birth/SD simulators that various groups are making and distributing to training programs. They aren't perfect, but its a really big start. At the SD/BPI conference last May, I met an MBA who was there to learn about the new simulators in order to implement them as part of training to handle SDs in the OB/GYN residency at Northwestern. Hurray for progress!!
C-sections are not the answer. Don't forget... there are many, many babies who don't have any advance risk factors for SD. Sometimes it does happen very suddenly and without warning. Hopefully, as more and more programs realize that there *are* maneuvers that can be effective (but need a certain comfort level and advanced training to implement) these shoulder dystocias will be resolved quickly and without injury.
Until very recently, the general opinion among even BPI specialists was that this injury resolves "completely" 90% of the time. This statistic was published by various centers as recently 1998 (including a TCH publication)! Now that the real long-term disability rate is becoming clear, the pressure is on for doctors to not only save the life of the mother and child (of course their first priority) but to do it without disabling the child for life.
For so long OB/GYNs have believed that the risk of ill effects from BPI is so very small, it is nothing compared to saving the child's life. Now they are starting to realize that not only will correct maneuvers possibly save the child from a lifetime of disability from BPI, but *also* have a better chance of saving the child's life by resolving the shoulder dystocia effectively! The problem with "just haul on the baby's head" to get them out is that it doesn't always work! Many times, yes, it does get the baby out, but with injury. But for really bad shoulder dystocia, it doesn't even work and can make the child even more stuck. The key to solving the OBPI problem is in recognizing that maneuvers which help protect from BPI are *also* more effective at resolving shoulder dystocia and get the baby out safer, period. It is not necessary to choose saving the child's life over sacrificing their arm. With proper preparation and training, that choice need never be made at all.
Kate