What are the risk factors for brachial plexus injuries?

What are the risk factors for brachial plexus injuries?

Risk factors for experiencing a brachial plexus injury include:

• Playing contact sports, especially football, rugby or wrestling.
• Reckless driving and high-speed driving.

Always practice safety when playing sports and driving to try to prevent these injuries.

The following factors increase the risk of neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP):

• Breech delivery.
• If the birthing parent has obesity.
• Larger-than-average newborn size.
• Difficulty delivering the infant’s shoulder after their head has already come out (called shoulder dystocia).