Successful conservative treatment of radial nerve palsy in a neonate

VernacularTitle:新生儿桡神经麻痹保守治疗成功1例
Author: Dandan WANG ¹ ; Fen HE ; Gaili GUO ; Fanhui ZHANG ; Jiarong PAN ; Tianming YUAN ; Xuchen ZHOU
Author Information

1. 浙江大学医学院附属儿童医院新生儿科（国家儿童健康与疾病临床医学研究中心），杭州　310052
Keywords: Radial neuropathy; Conservative treatment; Small splint fixation; Infant, newborn
From: Chinese Journal of Perinatal Medicine 2023;26(12):1037-1039
CountryChina
Language:Chinese
Abstract: This paper reported a case of neonatal radial nerve palsy that was successfully treated by conservative therapy. The patient with 39 weeks of gestational age was born vaginally. On the 2nd day after birth, right wrist drop, decreased muscle strength in the right upper limb, the erythema patch, and the subcutaneous nodule on the upper arm were observed. Electromyography revealed acute denervation of the radial nerve. Based on the electromyography results combined with clinical evaluations, neonatal radial nerve palsy was diagnosed. The patient was treated with self-made simple splint fixation along with comprehensive treatment. At 15 days of age, the family members removed the splint fixation themselves (13 days of fixation). At the age of 20 days, the symptoms of right wrist drop had disappeared, and the grasp reflex and Moro reflex of both hands returned to normal. A follow-up electromyography conducted at six months after discharge showed no obvious abnormalities.