Welcome From UBPN

Welcome to the updated United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc. web site. We are excited about increasing the resources we provide to our community of injured and their families, as well as bring greater awareness to the general public and medical community about brachial plexus injuries.

If you are the parent of a newly injured child or are newly injured yourself, please know that although you are at the beginning of a trying and challenging journey, it is not hopeless.

You will find a great deal of information on this site to give you a better understanding of a brachial plexus injury. In addition, you will find amazing support on our forums.

Information For Parents Of A Newborn With A Weak Or Paralyzed Arm

If your newborn's arm is notably weak or completely paralyzed, your child may have Brachial Plexus Palsy (BPP), also known as Erb's Palsy or Brachial Plexus Injury (BPI). The cause of this injury is usually the stretching of one (or both) sides of the neck during a difficult delivery.

The Brachial Plexus is a network of nerves that go from the spinal column in the neck down to the fingers. The mildest form of this injury is when the nerves have been stretched. When the nerves are torn (ruptured) or pulled out of their spinal "socket" (avulsed), surgical intervention may be the only hope to regain function of the arm.

President's Blog

My journey in the world of brachial plexus injuries began almost 12 years ago, in June 1997. It was my wife’s and my first baby. It is a story we have heard in our UBPN community over and over. The baby got stuck, the baby got pulled, fundal pressure was inappropriately applied, and my precious daughter sustained a permanent, left obstetrical brachial plexus injury at birth.

It wasn’t long after that I found the Erb’s Palsy Injury resource group. There were many spirited discussions then and now. It seemed like a small group of people just looking for the best treatment and answers for their children. This small group has grown tremendously with the explosion of the internet and the familiarity of most with searching for answers electronically. Soon EPIRG became incorporated as a non-profit 501c3 in 1999, the birth of UBPN.