V Klumpke's Palsy is a birth injury that

occurs when a baby sustains injury to the

brachial plexus during birth. Palsy
statistics show that there is a brachial
plexus injury every five hundred to one
thousand births. Klumpke's Palsy is one of
several Brachial Plexus injuries. These
injuries also include Brachial Plexus
Palsy and Shoulder Dystocia
V The nerve root involved are C7 C8 and T1
V There are four basic nerve injuries suffered
during delivery that can result in a brachial
plexus injury, leading to Klumpke's Palsy. An
|
 occurs when the nerve is torn from the
spine during birth. An avulsion is the most
dangerous brachial plexus injury. A 



occurs when the nerve tears, but remains

attached to the spine. When the nerve attempts to
heal itself after being torn, a 

| can form.
A 

| is scar tissue that occurs when the
nerve attempts to heal itself after being torn, and
a | occurs when the nerve does not tear,
healing by itself in a few months.
V Klumpke's Palsy, can be prevented by
anticipating the various risk factors that
lead to it. These risk factors include
gestational diabetes, excessive weight gain
from pregnancy, obesity, expectant mothers
with a small pelvis, mothers who have
previously given birth to large babies, and
mothers in post-term pregnancy
V Klumpke's palsy is preventable in most
cases
V Symptoms of Klumpke's Palsy occur from
damage to the seventh and eighth
cervical and first thoracic nerves.
Common signs of Klumpke's palsy are a
limp hand, and fingers that do not move.
Sometimes, a victim of Klumpke's Palsy
will also suffer from Horners syndrome,
which causes droopy eyelids, and a the
pupil of the affected eye to be smaller
than the unaffected eye.
V Treatment of Klumpke's Palsy includes
surgery that attempt to repair the
damaged nerves. Physical therapy and
daily exercise are implemented to
increase or maintain range of motion in
the affected side. There is usually no
physical improvement after two years of
age. An occupational therapist can
sometimes help the patient learn to live
with the condition.