New Study Uncovers Promise for Brachial Plexus Injuries
When a baby is born with a brachial plexus injury, parents face an uncertain journey. Traditionally, doctors relied on months of physical exams and observations to determine the extent of the injury and whether surgery would be needed to restore arm function. However, a groundbreaking new study has unveiled a new, more immediate tool to assess the severity of these injuries: MRI scans.
What is a Brachial Plexus Injury?
Brachial plexus injuries occur in approximately 1 in 1,000 births, often caused by trauma during delivery. The brachial plexus is a complex network of nerves that controls movement and sensation in the shoulder, arm, and hand. When these nerves are damaged, it can lead to weakness or paralysis in the affected limb.
While many infants recover with minimal intervention, up to 30% suffer severe injuries that may lead to long-term impairment. In these cases, surgery can repair damaged nerves. Sometimes, however, healthy nerves compensate for injured ones, and a child’s arm function can also improve without any surgical intervention at all. It is due to this unpredictability that doctors have historically relied on those exams to assess progress. The downside of this route is that the exams and assessment can take a long time and still provide an uncertain prognosis.
The Promise of Non-Sedated MRIs
In the study, researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital, Gillette Children’s Hospital, and Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California explored whether MRI scans could help doctors assess the severity of a brachial plexus injury earlier in a child’s life. The study focused on infants between 4 to 16 weeks old— an earlier window of time than doctors have predicted long-term mobility outcomes in the past.
What makes this study stand out is the technique used: the infants underwent non-sedated, non-contrast MRI scans, which are quick and safe for such young children. To ensure the babies remained still for the six-minute procedure, they were swaddled in blankets and fed right before the scan. This innovative approach, known as the NAPTIME (non-anesthetized plexus technique for infant MRI evaluation), is revolutionizing how doctors evaluate brachial plexus injuries.
How MRIs Can Help
The study demonstrated that MRI scans can provide clear, detailed images of the damaged nerves in the brachial plexus. Researchers found that a higher number of damaged nerves correlates with a lower chance of spontaneous recovery without surgery. This insight allows doctors to better understand the injury’s severity and make more informed decisions about whether surgery is necessary.
For families dealing with the uncertainty of a brachial plexus injury, this new approach offers hope and clarity. Instead of waiting for months to see how the injury progresses, MRIs provide an immediate and accurate assessment of the situation, giving parents and doctors a clearer picture of the path forward.
Complications during childbirth can sometimes happen. But sometimes an injury comes from negligence. Tom Duffy has recovered birth injury settlements in excess of $20,000,000. If you would like to speak with a top Philadelphia birth injury attorney in Philadelphia, contact us to set a time to speak about your legal options.