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Brachial plexus injury and obstetrical risk factors

J Bar1, A Dvir, M Hod

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. jbar@clalit.org.il

International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics: the Official Organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics
|May 5, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Neonatal brachial plexus injury, like Erb's palsy, is linked to maternal age, diabetes, and higher birth weight. These risk factors for brachial plexus injury are often unpredictable.

Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Pediatric Neurology

Background:

  • Brachial plexus injury (BPI) in neonates, commonly known as Erb's palsy, can result from various birth-related factors.
  • Identifying specific risk factors associated with BPI is crucial for understanding its etiology and potential prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and compare historical risk factors between neonates diagnosed with brachial plexus injury and healthy control infants.
  • To determine if known risk factors for brachial plexus injury differ significantly between affected and unaffected newborns.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of medical records for 62 neonates diagnosed with Erb's palsy post-birth.
  • Comparison with a control group of 124 randomly selected, uninjured infants born during the same period.
  • Analysis of maternal age, incidence of diabetic pregnancy, infant birth weight, and mode of delivery.

Main Results:

  • Mothers of neonates with BPI were significantly older (32.1 vs. 28.9 years) and had a higher incidence of diabetic pregnancy (69% vs. 14.5%).
  • Infants with BPI had significantly higher mean birth weight (3846g vs. 3220g) and a greater incidence of birth weight exceeding 4000g (27% vs. 4.8%).
  • A small percentage (3.2%) of infants in the study group were born via elective cesarean section.

Conclusions:

  • Brachial plexus injury in neonates is associated with maternal age, diabetic pregnancy, and increased birth weight.
  • These identified risk factors for brachial plexus injury are largely non-predictable and not easily preventable, highlighting the complexity of BPI.
Abstract

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