Early diagnosis and long term management of obstetric paralysis.

The muscles of the arms of 45 infants with obstetric injury of the brachial plexus were studied electromyographically. Classical clinical examiniation and routine electromyography were unsatisfactory, but studies of temporary unconditioned motor reflexes with kinesiological electromyography proved more helpful in establishing the site and extent of the lesion. In addition to their diagnostic value, these reflexes rhythmically repeated appear to play a useful therapeutic role in 96 children followed up on a long term basis.