History of Neonatal Brachial Plexus Palsy

The first known description of neonatal brachial plexus palsy (BPP) dates from 1779 when Smellie reported the case of an infant with bilateral arm weakness that resolved spontaneously within a few days after birth. In the 1870s, both Duchenne and Erb described cases of upper trunk nerve injury, attributing the findings to traction on the upper trunk, now called Duchenne-Erb palsy. In 1885, Klumpke described injury of C8-T1 nerve roots and the nearby stellate ganglion that now bears her name.

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