Chicago Facial Nerve Injury or Paralysis Attorney
Parents in Chicago should never have to realize that a healthcare provider’s error resulted in their newborn sustaining a serious birth injury that resulted in damage to the baby’s facial nerves or that has caused paralysis. Yet facial nerve injuries and paralysis occur more often than you might think, and these types of harm often result from a mistake or negligence by an ob-gyn or an obstetric nurse during labor and delivery. If your newborn suffered a birth injury, do not hesitate to get in touch with a Chicago facial nerve injury or paralysis attorney at our firm to discuss your options for filing a claim.
Facial Nerve Palsy and Erb’s Palsy Caused by Chicago Birth Injuries
When new parents learn that their newborn has suffered a facial nerve injury or another type of paralysis, the baby most often will have been diagnosed with facial nerve palsy as a result of birth trauma or Erb’s palsy, which is also known as brachial plexus birth palsy. Both types of injuries can be permanently disabling for the baby. What is the difference between facial nerve palsy and brachial plexus palsy? Our Chicago birth injury attorneys can explain.
Facial Nerve Palsy and Facial Nerve Injuries in Chicago
Facial nerve palsy, according to MedlinePlus and the National Library of Medicine, can be defined as “the loss of controllable (voluntary) muscle movement in an infant’s face due to pressure on the facial nerve just before or at the time of birth.” The facial nerve is also known as the baby’s seventh cranial nerve, which means that you can sometimes see this injury described as a cranial nerve injury. This type of injury most often results from birth trauma. Some of the potential causal factors for a facial nerve injury and facial nerve palsy include the following:
- Use of forceps during delivery;
- Extended pregnancy or extended labor;
- Use of an epidural; or
- Use of medication to induce labor.
Paralysis in Chicago Brachial Plexus Birth Palsy or Erb’s Palsy
Brachial plexus birth palsy, or Erb’s palsy, can also result from nerve damage during labor and delivery, but different nerves are damaged to cause this type of injury. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), Erb’s palsy is a type of brachial plexus palsy that occurs when the nerves near the baby’s neck are damaged, resulting in weakness or paralysis. In general, Erb’s palsy affects the upper nerves in the baby’s brachial plexus, resulting in paralysis in the shoulder (but not in the fingers), while total brachial plexus birth palsy can result in paralysis in the entire shoulder and arm.
Common causes of paralysis linked to brachial plexus birth palsy or Erb’s palsy include but are not limited to the following:
- Breech presentation;
- Prolonged labor;
- Use of forceps and other devices; and/or
- Need to use force to quickly deliver the baby, thereby stretching the baby’s neck and nerves.
Common symptoms of brachial plexus palsy include weakness in one arm, loss of feeling in one arm, or a partial or total paralysis in one of the baby’s arms.
Contact a Chicago Facial Nerve Injury or Paralysis Attorney
If your baby suffered a facial nerve injury or paralysis, you should seek help from a birth injury attorney in Chicago. Contact Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC for more information.
