Brachial plexus birth injuries and current management

Newborns may sustain brachial plexus injuries during birth. During passage through the birth canal, forces can be exerted on the neck, putting undue stress on the brachial plexus. Most practitioners treat obstetric brachial plexus palsy conservatively, knowing that a large percentage of patients improve spontaneously, and that in the past, surgery did not produce reliable improvement over nonsurgical therapy. What has recently became apparent is that a finite therapeutic window of opportunity for surgical restoration of the upper extremity exists, and the key to obtaining optimal results depends on early, accurate diagnosis.