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Updated: Mar 23, 2026

Methods for In Vivo Biomechanical Testing on Brachial Plexus in Neonatal Piglets
Published on: December 19, 2019
Risk factors for brachial plexus injury in a large cohort with shoulder dystocia
Katherine A Volpe1, Jonathan M Snowden2, Yvonne W Cheng3,4
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of New Mexico School of Medicine, MSC 10 5580, 1 University of New Mexico, 87131-0001, Albuquerque, NM, Mexico. kvolpe@salud.unm.edu.
Objective:
To examine birthweight and other predictors of brachial plexus injury (BPI) among births complicated by shoulder dystocia.
Study Design:
A retrospective cohort study of term births complicated by shoulder dystocia in California between 1997 and 2006. Birthweight at time of delivery was stratified into 500-g intervals. Women were further stratified by diabetes status, parity, and race/ethnicity. The perinatal outcome of BPI was assessed.
Results:
This study included 62,762 deliveries complicated by shoulder dystocia, of which 3168 (5 %) resulted in BPI. The association between birthweight and BPI remained significant regardless of confounders. Each increasing birthweight interval was associated with an increasing risk of BPI compared with 3000-3499-g birthweight. Race/ethnicity, diabetes, and parity were also independently associated with BPI.
Conclusion:
Increasing birthweight increases the risk of BPI among births with shoulder dystocia, independent of advanced maternal age, race, parity, gestational diabetes, or operative vaginal delivery.
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