Brachial plexus injury and obstetrical risk factors.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether known historical risk factors of brachial plexus injury differ between affected neonates and healthy controls.

METHODS

The files of all 62 children with Erb's palsy who were diagnosed after birth were reviewed. The control group consisted of 124 randomly selected uninjured infants born within the same period.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, the mothers of the neonates with brachial plexus injury were found to be significantly older (32.1+/-5.2 years vs. 28.9+/-5.8 years, P = 0.01), and had a significantly higher incidence of diabetic pregnancy (69% vs. 14.5%, P = 0.001); the infants had a significantly higher mean birth weight (3846+/-576 g vs. 3220+/-582 g, P = 0.0001) and higher incidence of birth weight > or = 4000 g (27% vs. 4.8%, P = 0.0001). Two of the infants in the study group (3.2%) were born by elective cesarean section.

CONCLUSIONS

Brachial plexus injury is associated with several non-predictable or preventable risk factors.