Erb's Palsy, the new threat to the Ghanaian child

After 9 months of pregnancy, preparations begin in earnest in anticipation of seeing that bundle of joy added to the family. It is always the joy of new moms to hide these babies at home until they are ceremonially out-doored.

However, this desire evades most mothers due to a number of reasons. The more common ones have been the cases of preterm babies and other conditions for which term babies need extra care at neonatal intensive care units. Over the years, Ghana has been blessed with some gracious voices who have mobilized to save such children.

Another condition that is steadily gaining popularity is the Brachial Plexus Injury commonly called Erb’s Palsy. In most cases, it is the result of an accident during the baby delivery process and even the most experienced health professionals can sometimes find themselves wanting in such cases. The condition is characterized by a general inability of the newborn to pivot the shoulder and elbow independently. When early treatment is not obtained, the child will grow up with the palm facing backward instead of the side as shown in the attached image. In some cases, the condition affects both arms.

On our part, I noticed at home that our newborn was more agile with his left hand and so I thought it was an early sign he will be a southpaw. My experienced mother-in-law however raised the concern that there was something very abnormal with her 20th grandchild.

Now the interesting coincidence here is that my wife and I had told God that if he gave us a second child, he would be dedicated to evangelism in the Middle East. So we had elected to name the Baby after Naaman, the Aramian Soldier of the Bible who came to love God after he was healed by Prophet Elisha. We chose this name because we wanted an evangelistic connection to the current situation in present-day Syria. Now if you were regular at Sunday school I am sure you get how dreadful it will be for a Naaman to be born today with a semblance of physical disability. Well if you don’t get it kindly read 2 Kings 5. We were nonetheless more confident of better things because we believe that wherever there is a Naaman God will raise an Elisha.

So, after our mother-in-law raised the alarm and we started asking questions we were directed to the Physiotherapy Unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital where we met our Prophet Elisha. The past two months have been an amazing journey with them and they are doing such a great job. Now the normal thing would have been to publish this in the next 6 months after baby Naaman has fully recovered from this condition, but I am compelled to make this post with such urgency because it could save someone.

You see, at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Tuesdays and Thursdays are dedicated to babies and children at the Physiotherapy Clinic. So, instead of hiding babies at home, we join several parents to attend physiotherapy clinics biweekly. This should have been stressful but thanks to the amazing team at the Physio Unit, these days are always a joy for us. We meet other families who have significantly advanced in the treatment and we hear stories of other mothers whose babies have fully recovered from Erbs Palsy.

What however cuts our joy, and precisely the reason why I am writing this article, is the alarming number of new cases of Erb’s Palsy being recorded at the KATH Physio Clinic. From mere observation, I am able to count at least 4 new babies being registered to undergo therapy every week. This may not look that upsetting but considering that this figure only accounts for persons who have access to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, it raises concerns and questions as to how many more people are reporting such cases at smaller health centers, not to mention the many others who are not likely to detect and report this. This is important because we have realized that the health professionals at birth are often afraid of reporting such incidence and most mothers find it out for themselves when they go home.

Clearly, our newborns face a new challenge and we need to join hands to respond to this growing threat before it is too late. While I expect this post to raise the broader conversation about the causes and prevention of Erb’s Palsy, I believe we need to more urgently speak to how we can encourage mothers to recognize this defect and report for treatment. Therefore, instead of the usual angst that we direct at health professionals when such stories appear online, shall we try the Biblical way by recognizing 2 other characters in 2 Kings 5, i.e. Elisha’s Servant (Gehazi) and Naaman’s servant girl, whose name wasn’t mentioned in the text.

Elisha’s Servant (Gehazi)

Let Gehazi represent “any unfair costs“ associated with obtaining care from the Physiotherapist. Currently, there is almost no charge for receiving treatment for Erbs Palsy. However, unconfirmed reports suggest that most mothers have discontinued their attendance to Physioclinic because of the little consultation fee they are asked to pay coupled with the cost of transportation to the health center. This is hard to believe but if research can prove this true, the government will need to intervene because the cost of a child growing up with such a condition is direr than the GHS 25 we are asked to pay weekly.

Naaman’s Servant (Name not mentioned)

IF ONLY NAAMAN WILL MEET ELISHA 2 Kings 5:2
Now, do you realize the most important person in the story of Naaman and Elisha should be the servant who recommended the Prophet? Clearly, if she had not brought this up these two may never have met. Naaman would have lived with his condition and Elisha would have kept the power of God. Unfortunately, the Bible did not give us the name of this champion. But, I think I know who she is. That person is you, YES YOU. Now that you are aware of this condition and you know how a child can find treatment, why don’t you play your role in raising the awareness? At least three things could happen.

1. It would prompt a certain mother to go out in search of a physiotherapist. Just like how Naaman travels in search for Elisha. The experts say that for any chance of total recovery, a child should start treatment within the first 7 months of life.

2. It would alert the Ghana NMC and Child Rights Advocates to conduct more research into why such cases are becoming common. This could prompt some refresher courses for health professionals and lead to a more elaborate procedure for reporting such accidents as well counseling such families. This is critical because at this point no one knows whose child could be the next Naaman.

3. It would also inspire fathers and mothers who are leading the fight against Neo-Natal emergencies to channel their resolve to address this challenge. This could also lead to new policies that directly benefit such mothers because if a child injured with Erb’s Palsy will need 7 months of physiotherapy treatment, it becomes unfair for the mother to take just three months of maternity leave.

It was indeed for a reason that the name of Naaman’s servant wasn’t mentioned. Put yourself in her shoes and create the awareness that treatment must start in the first 6 months.