title: The prognostic value of concurrent phrenic nerve palsy in newborn babies with neonatal brachial plexus palsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prognostic value of concurrent phrenic nerve palsy for predicting spontaneous motor recovery in neonatal brachial plexus palsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the records of 366 neonates with brachial plexus palsy. The clinical and follow-up data of patients with and without phrenic nerve palsy were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 366 newborn babies with neonatal brachial plexus palsy, 21 (6%) had concurrent phrenic nerve palsy. Sixteen of these neonates had upper-type palsy and 5 had total-type palsy. Poor spontaneous motor recovery was observed in 13 neonates with concurrent phrenic nerve palsy (62%) and in 129 without concurrent phrenic nerve palsy (39%). Among neonates born via vertex delivery, poor motor recovery was observed in 7 of 9 (78%) neonates with concurrent phrenic nerve palsy and 115 of 296 (39%) without concurrent phrenic nerve palsy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Concurrent phrenic nerve palsy in neonates with brachial plexus palsy has prognostic value in predicting poor spontaneous motor recovery of the brachial plexus, particularly after vertex delivery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Therapeutic IV.
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan. Electronic address: yoshida-kiyoshi@umin.ac.jp.
authors: Kiyoshi
authors: K
authors: Yoshida
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Osaka Medical Center and Research, Osaka, Japan.
authors: Hidehiko
authors: H
authors: Kawabata
mesh_terms: D020516:Brachial Plexus Neuropathies / Q000503:physiopathology*; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007746:Labor Presentation; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010791:Phrenic Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011379:Prognosis; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Obstetric brachial plexus palsy; phrenic nerve palsy; prognostic value