Symptoms of Nerve Damage in Babies

Women who drink heavily during their pregnancy increase the risk of their baby being born with permanent peripheral nerve damage. This is a malfunction of the nerves that are outside the spinal cord. Brachial palsy is another type of nerve damage, caused during birth. It can result from a breech delivery or when the head and shoulders must be pulled through the birth canal.

Nerve Conductivity

• A neurological exam performed on infants at 1 month and repeated at 12 to 14 months by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the University of Chile Alcohol and Pregnancy Study showed conductivity problems with nerves in both exams.

Numbness and Pain

• It is not known for certain if symptoms of numbness and pain are occurring with the study of infants in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, because they could not talk. However, as typical symptoms of peripheral nerve damage, the study will follow the children as they get older.

Paralysis

• One result of the birth injury, brachial palsy, is an infant may have weakness or paralysis of an arm. The elbow will be straight and the palm of the hand will face down. If the damage is severe, the paralysis will be permanent.

Touch Sensation

• Often the result of peripheral nerve damage will be lack of touch sensation. This will not be evident until the child gets older.

Motor Skills

• There may be problems with fine motor skills from peripheral nerve damage. This will also be evident as the child develops.