There are certain risk factors related to shoulder dystocia (a baby’s shoulder being stuck inside the mother’s pelvis, which is related to Erb’s palsy). These factors include:
- High infant birth weight and/or a gestational parent with overweight/obesity.
- Diabetes in the gestational parent (either diabetes that was there before pregnancy or gestational diabetes).
- A previous pregnancy involving shoulder dystocia.
- Being pregnant with more than one baby.
- Getting medications like oxytocin or an epidural during labor.
- Breech birth position (your baby isn’t head-first in the birth canal).