Citation

Suleiman FA, Almaaitah AA, Aqrabawi HE. J. Pak. Med. Assoc. 2016; 66(11): 1422-1426.

Affiliation

Consultant Neonatologist, Department of Paediatrics. King Hussein Medical Centre. Amman. Jordan.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Pakistan Medical Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

27812060

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of and the main risk factors related to upper limb injury at birth.

METHODS: This prospective study was conducted at the King Hussein Medical Centre, Amman, Jordan, from October 2014 to May 2015, and comprised newborns. The probable predisposing factors for upper limb birth injury and their relation to injury were analysed. SPSS 17 was used for data analysis.

RESULTS: Of the 5,030 live births, 5,003(99.46%) newborns were without and 27(0.54%) were with upper limb birth trauma (5.4 injuries per 1,000 live births). Moreover, 2,565(51%) were boys and 2,465(49%) were girls. Of the injured, 20(74%) patients had clavicle fracture, 3(11.1%) each had brachial plexus injuries and fractures to the humerus, and 1(3.7%) had olecranon fracture, translating into an incidence of 3.97, 0.6 and 0.2 per 1,000 live births, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: Upper limb injury was not uncommon at birth. In most cases, such injuries were unpredictable and unpreventable.

Language: en