No parent wants to see their child injured. But sometimes, circumstances outside your power can harm your baby. One of these situations is during birth. Delivery is a vulnerable and emotional time. The mother needs all hands on deck for the safe arrival of the baby. However, reckless endangerment and carelessness on the medical staff’s part can lead to a potential injury, a typical example being Erb’s palsy.
5 Helpful Tips For Parents Of Children With Erb’s Palsy
From 0.9 to 2.6 per 1000 live births have an Erb’s palsy. This type of weakness in the arm and shoulder of the infant can make the muscle hard to control. Undoubtedly, learning about your baby’s condition can be devastating, but you can still help your child. Here’s how:
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You can turn to the law
The legal system is here to protect and fight for you. So, if you are dealing with a birth injury caused by medical negligence of the staff, you can depend on the law to have your back. Birth injuries come under medical malpractice, a legal and ethical violation. Contact a lawyer when you have evidence, including medical forms, discharge papers, and details on your child’s birth that indicate your baby has Erb’s palsy.
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Common physical symptoms are paralysis, numbness, and elbow, shoulder, or arm stiffness. So, with this concrete case in mind, contact an Erb’s palsy lawyer to guide you on your next move. Be sure you listen to your attorney, follow the due process, submit the relevant documents and watch justice get served. The money you win can help you pay for high-quality treatment, physical therapy, and well-reputed doctors to help your child gradually build muscle movement.
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Don’t be hard on yourself
It’s natural to feel responsible for every injury your child sustains. You may be filled with thoughts that perhaps your carelessness may have caused this condition, but that is not the case. Birth is not an easy process and can get complicated fast. As a mother, you alone don’t control the outcome and need trustworthy medical practitioners to care for you. But, when the staff mismanages your case, it can lead to Erb’s palsy. All it takes is an unnatural amount of force on your child’s arm, intense pressure, and using the apparatus roughly that can cause these circumstances.
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Lean on the doctor for help
An Erb’s palsy specialist will help in looking after your baby. This includes explaining the condition to you, moving your child’s arm, and judging where the motion gets blocked. Erb’s palsy is a treatable condition. You will need to perform specific movements on your infant daily to repair the nerves and muscles. These may also include massages.
Most treatments start when your baby is about three weeks old. Hydrotherapy is a standard option for most parents. The water cushions the baby’s limbs making it easier to exercise and minimal pain. You should see improvement within six months, after which a doctor may push for surgery. But don’t try forcing the process. The repair is slow and takes time.
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Talk to a therapist
A birth injury can leave you emotionally charged. You may feel guilty and isolated even with family and friends’ support. Your feelings are valid, and you may find it hard to heal. Therefore, it is best to turn to a therapist for help. These professionals know how to work through your emotional well-being and interlink it with your mental health. Often the feelings of regret can translate into high anxiety and immense fear, which can take a toll on you. Therapy sessions are safe spaces.
An expert will not judge you, shame you or put words in your mouth. They will also not jump to conclusions and draw unhealthy speculations. Each piece of advice you get will be relevant to your situation, parallel to your emotional health, and productive in helping you find a way to cope. The bottom line of a therapist is to break the vicious cycle of thoughts you allow to follow through you replacing them with humane ones. This will make it easier for you to focus on your baby without feeling despair and find hope.
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Speak to other parents
One or two in every thousand births results in Erb’s palsy. Your pain is shared by other parents too. Therefore reaching out to them by joining online blogs, being part of their discussion forums, and reaching out to support groups can help ease your burden. Parents who successfully helped their child recover from Erb’s palsy are your biggest asset. These individuals can guide, educate and instruct you on how to facilitate your baby’s movements. If you feel cornered or hopeless, seeking their consolation can help you feel better and motivate you to try harder.
Finally
Erb’s palsy impacts your child’s muscular movement, leading to paralysis. As a concerned parent, you can turn to lawyers to help you sue the medical team that caused this mishap. Simultaneously you can lean on specialists to take care of your baby and help you stimulate movement. Witnessing your child in a stressful condition can take a toll on you, so seek help in making sense of what you feel and forgive yourself. Therapists are your best bet in helping you get better mentally and emotionally. Don’t discount the fact that you need to take care of yourself in your attempt to help your baby too. Finally, when it comes to additional support, seek out the company of other parents in the same situation and let them be your beacon of hope.
