As the mother of an 11 year old daughter with a right brachial plexus traumatic birth injury who has had 3 major surgeries along with doing OT/PT daily for the past 11 years, I can tell you that this injury is real and that it happens too often. Along with teaching the right techniques for delivery, you should also teach the doctors how to be HONEST with the family if they do injure the child. Do not try to hide behind the injury. There is a 6 month window of opportunity in which surgery can be quite successful, but if the doctor responds with “lets wait and see” or if he/she responds with “the baby will get better in 6 months” the doctor is not being realistic. The doctor has to be honest and has to refer injured baby to an orthopedic surgeon certified in brachial plexus injuries immediately to get the right protocol as soon as possible. The doctors have to be honest! I cannot stress the word “honest” enough. I pray that it will be mandatory before even insuring the doctor for them to take the course! Feel free to email me if any of you have any questions. I want what is right for these poor innocent little babies who will have a million issues to deal with in their lifetime because of inattention from the doctor as they deliver these babies. By the way, the moms are very affected by this injury and the whole family suffers. The injury can be compared to a person being partially paralised on the whole affected side. For an expample to see what it feels like to have this injury, tie your prominant arm/hand behind your back for 1 day and try to do all what is asked of you. That is my challenge to all doctors. I think all insurance companies should require all doctors to take this course. Respectfully submitted…Louise
As the mother of an 11 year old daughter with a right brachial plexus traumatic birth injury who has had 3 major surgeries along with doing OT/PT daily for the past 11 years, I can tell you that this injury is real and that it happens too often. Along with teaching the right techniques for delivery, you should also teach the doctors how to be HONEST with the family if they do injure the child. Do not try to hide behind the injury. There is a 6 month window of opportunity in which surgery can be quite successful, but if the doctor responds with “lets wait and see” or if he/she responds with “the baby will get better in 6 months” the doctor is not being realistic. The doctor has to be honest and has to refer injured baby to an orthopedic surgeon certified in brachial plexus injuries immediately to get the right protocol as soon as possible. The doctors have to be honest! I cannot stress the word “honest” enough. I pray that it will be mandatory before even insuring the doctor for them to take the course! Feel free to email me if any of you have any questions. I want what is right for these poor innocent little babies who will have a million issues to deal with in their lifetime because of inattention from the doctor as they deliver these babies. By the way, the moms are very affected by this injury and the whole family suffers. The injury can be compared to a person being partially paralised on the whole affected side. For an expample to see what it feels like to have this injury, tie your prominant arm/hand behind your back for 1 day and try to do all what is asked of you. That is my challenge to all doctors. I think all insurance companies should require all doctors to take this course. Respectfully submitted…Louise