Brachial Plexus Birth Injury: A Single-Center Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric neurology
• Neonatal care
• Orthopedic surgery

Background:

• Brachial plexus birth injury (BPBI) is a common neonatal complication.
• Traction injuries to brachial plexus nerves during birth can lead to upper extremity weakness.
• Spontaneous recovery is possible, but persistent deficits necessitate further evaluation and intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the experience of a brachial plexus clinic with infants diagnosed with BPBI.
• To evaluate the Narakas Classification (NC) and Active Movement Scale (AMS) in this cohort.
• To identify clinic barriers affecting patient follow-up and data collection.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of infants with BPBI from September 2017 to September 2019.
• Assessment of Narakas Classification (NC) and Active Movement Scale (AMS) at follow-up intervals.
• Analysis of outcomes for both conservatively managed and surgically treated patients.

Main Results:

• Fifteen infants were included: 8 with NC-I, 5 with NC-II, and 2 with NC-III.
• By 7 months, 3 infants showed spontaneous recovery, while 8 achieved high AMS scores (5-7).
• Eleven surgically treated patients demonstrated minimal improvement in shoulder abduction and external rotation by 6 months.

Conclusions:

• This small sample suggests limited functional improvement in shoulder abduction and external rotation following surgery for BPBI.
• Clinic-specific challenges in follow-up, data collection, and interdisciplinary collaboration were identified.
• Further research with larger cohorts is needed to confirm these findings and optimize BPBI management.