Self-biting behavior in patients with neonatal brachial plexus palsy

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Neurology
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

• Neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP) can lead to complications such as self-biting behavior.
• This behavior has been historically associated with severe outcomes, including finger amputation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of self-biting behavior in patients with NBPP.
• To identify risk factors associated with this complication.
• To describe the clinical management and outcomes of self-biting behavior in NBPP.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 612 patients diagnosed with NBPP.
• Evaluation of patient demographics, lesion levels, surgical history, and behavioral onset.
• Statistical analysis to assess correlations between lesion severity, surgical intervention, and self-biting behavior.

Main Results:

• Self-biting behavior was identified in 2.5% of patients (15 individuals).
• The behavior was more common in patients with C5-T1 (10 patients) and C5-C7 (5 patients) lesions.
• Onset occurred between 8 and 46 months, was temporary, and showed no significant difference between operated and non-operated patients.

Conclusions:

• Self-biting behavior is an infrequent but significant complication of NBPP, often associated with severe motor impairment.
• The behavior is temporary and can be effectively managed with physical restriction, preventing digital amputation.
• No correlation was found between surgical intervention and the appearance or resolution of self-biting behavior.