Klumpke paralysis is a medical condition caused by damage to the brachial plexus. Named after one of the first notable American female physicians, Augusta Déjerine-Klumpke, this type of palsy is often caused by a birth injury.
Klempke’s palsy takes place when the first thoracic nerve and the eighth cervical nerve are damaged. The most common cause of this palsy occurs when an infant undergoes a tramatic delivery involving shoulder dystocia; that is, when a baby’s shoulder becomes trapped in the birth canal by the mother’s pelvic bone. In the case of Klempke’s palsy, an infant may have one arm extended above its head when trapped.
Those suffering from Klempke’s palsy may have a paralyzed hand, a claw hand, numbness, motor issues in the arm and hand, and ptosis (drooping eyelid).
While some cases of Klumpke paralysis cannot be prevented, others are the result of a doctor’s negligence, a hospital’s negligence, or a low standard of care. If you have a child who suffers from Klumpke’s palsy due to a difficult labor and birth, you may wish to speak with a Dallas injury lawyer about why the birth injury took place and whether the injury should have been prevented altogether.