An Inverness mum has accused NHS Highland of “negligence” after her newborn son was diagnosed with a rare injury which has left his arm paralysed.
Eilidh McKenzie and three-month-old son Jack are due to travel to Glasgow today in an attempt to seek treatment for his Erb’s palsy.
The condition is a paralysis of the arm caused by an injury to nerves.
It is most commonly associated with trauma during childbirth.
Mrs McKenzie alleges staff at Raigmore Hospital’s maternity unit missed the condition – and instead claimed Jack was just being “lazy” with his arm.
He was only diagnosed after the family rushed him to accident and emergency after growing concerned about his “dangling” limb.
She is now concerned the length of time Jack has waited for treatment will affect his chances of making a full recovery.
Mrs McKenzie, 23, has now made an official complaint about her treatment – and claims she has been told there is a wider problem with Erb’s palsy at the Inverness hospital.
This has been denied by the health board, which said there is not a high rate of the condition at the hospital.
A spokesman for NHS Highland said the suggestion that there was a problem with Erb’s palsy at the north’s main hospital is “unsubstantiated”.
Jack was born on December 7 last year at the hospital after what his mother described as a “very fast labour”.
Mum-of-two Mrs McKenzie said: “I think we were on a complete high and we didn’t really notice at the time but when you look back at photos you can see it.
“His arm was paralysed.”
She was discharged on the third day after the birth and sent home but soon began to develop concerns about his right arm.
Mrs McKenzie said: “We went home and we started to notice that when you picked Jack up his arm just dangled.
“There was no movement.
“The community midwife is in regular contact for the first 10 days and we said we were worried but they just said that he had probably just been in a funny position in the womb and that he was being lazy about it.
“I think they were just fobbing me off, it was negligent not to check that there was something wrong.”
She said Jack is a “happy wee soul” – but he was clearly “uncomfortable and agitated” because of his arm.
However, by day 10 Mrs McKenzie and her partner Andrew were sufficiently worried that they took Jack to A&E – having read about Erb’s palsy online.
She added: “I said I thought that’s what it was and the doctor in A&E agreed.
“Jack was given an X-ray and it found no break.”
In childbirth the condition is caused most commonly if the head and neck of the newborn are pulled toward the side at the same time as the shoulders pass through the birth canal.
Jack was diagnosed as needing physiotherapy – but did not receive any until he was eight weeks old.
Mrs McKenzie said: “We just felt completely forgotten about.
“We were told he needed a treatment by the time he was six weeks old and that just didn’t happen.”
She claims she was told by a physiotherapist that the condition is “very common” at Raigmore and infants are regularly referred for treatment.
She said: “I think it’s shocking and completely unacceptable.
“I’ve asked the hospital to investigate because it’s a dreadful situation.”
Her son has now been referred to the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow and the family will travel down today to see a specialist.
A health board spokesman said: “NHS Highland does not comment on individual cases.
“However, the claim that there is a ‘problem’ with Erb’s palsy at Raigmore Hospital is unsubstantiated.
“There is not a high rate of births with Erb’s palsy in Raigmore Hospital. Erb’s palsy is a very rare condition associated with difficult births and we have an established local pathway based on national guidelines.”
