Peripheral and cranial nerve injuries
Clinical signs
- brachial plexus injury
- Occurs in large babies with shoulder dystocia or breech delivery
- Fractured clavicle or humerus and facial palsy may be associated
- erb palsy (C5-C6) is the most common: lack of shouder movement,
the upper extremity lies in adduction and internal rotation
- most babies spontaneously recover within months
- facial nerve injury
- compression occurs as the head passses the sacrum or by the forceps blade
- assymetric face with crying
- most infants recover in the first week of life
- phrenic nerve palsy
- diaphragmatic paralysis
