Erbs Palsy Symptoms
You hope that your child will never have to deal with the debilitating effects of a birth injury, but unfortunately, that isn’t the reality of things. Erb’s palsy has become one of the most common birth injuries that can happen to a child. In some cases, doctors will call this condition shoulder dystocia. It damages the nerves of the brachial plexus, which will often happen during the child’s delivery. Getting a quick diagnosis matters because it increases the chances that your child will make a full recovery. Let’s look at Erb’s palsy symptoms so that you can spot this condition more easily.
Symptoms of Erb’s Palsy
- Favoring one side of the body
- An unusual looking clawed hand
- Arm bends unnaturally toward the body
- Weak or totally absent reflexes
- Pain in the arms
- No feeling in the arms
- Can’t move arm or shoulder
Favoring One Side of the Body
One of Erb’s palsy symptoms often comes as a child that seems to favor one side of their body. This most likely happens because of how only one side of the nerves has suffered damage. Important to note. However, you do have rare cases where it can happen to both sides of the body.
Unusual Looking Clawed Hand
Many times, your child will bend their hand inward because of how it hurts to do otherwise. This shows that your child could be suffering from this condition.
Arm Bends Unnaturally Towards Body
The affected side might have the arm bending towards the body. This happens because of how the brachial plexus nerves were damaged, and the baby will try to move the arm in a way that feels the most comfortable. In some cases, if the child moves the arms in a way that looks unnatural, it could mean that the brachial plexus nerves were damaged. They struggle because their body can’t react in the same way that they might normally react. In many cases, the affected arm will bend at the elbow towards the body, but it will look unnatural.
Weak or Totally Absent Reflexes
As a birth disorder, Erb’s palsy affects the nerves. When the nerves like the brachial plexus have suffered harm, they won’t respond the way they should. They may not respond at all, or the reflex will be weak due to the damage done to the brachial plexus nerves. When the nerves get damaged, they won’t perform effectively.
Unlike cerebral palsy, this won’t be as serious of a condition in most cases. Most children make full recoveries provided that the doctor responds and gives a diagnosis in time. Nevertheless, this largely depends on the severity of the case and how the child reacts to it. In the more severe cases, the nerves get severe altogether, and the symptoms of this case won’t disappear without a deep medical intervention like surgery.