UC Davis

Objective

To evaluate the association of maternal delivery history with a brachial plexus birth injury risk in subsequent deliveries and to estimate the effect of subsequent delivery method on brachial plexus birth injury risk.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all live-birth deliveries occurring in California-licensed hospitals from 1996 to 2012. The primary outcome was recurrent brachial plexus birth injury in a subsequent pregnancy. The exposure was delivery history (parity, shoulder dystocia in a previous delivery, or previously delivering a neonate with brachial plexus birth injury). Multiple logistic regression was used to model adjusted associations of delivery history with brachial plexus birth injury in a subsequent pregnancy. The adjusted risk and adjusted risk difference for brachial plexus birth injury between vaginal and cesarean deliveries in subsequent pregnancies were determined, stratified by delivery history, and the number of cesarean deliveries needed to prevent one brachial plexus birth injury was determined.

Results

Of 6,286,324 neonates delivered by 4,104,825 individuals, 7,762 (0.12%) were diagnosed with a brachial plexus birth injury. Higher parity was associated with a 5.7% decrease in brachial plexus birth injury risk with each subsequent delivery (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.94, 95% CI 0.92-0.97). Shoulder dystocia or brachial plexus birth injury in a previous delivery was associated with fivefold (0.58% vs 0.11%, aOR 5.39, 95% CI 4.10-7.08) and 17-fold (1.58% vs 0.11%, aOR 17.22, 95% CI 13.31-22.27) increases in brachial plexus birth injury risk, respectively. Among individuals with a history of delivering a neonate with a brachial plexus birth injury, cesarean delivery was associated with a 73.0% decrease in brachial plexus birth injury risk (0.60% vs 2.21%, aOR 0.27, 95% CI 0.13-0.55) compared with an 87.9% decrease in brachial plexus birth injury risk (0.02% vs 0.15%, aOR 0.12, 95% CI 0.10-0.15) in individuals without this history. Among individuals with a history of brachial plexus birth injury, 48.1 cesarean deliveries are needed to prevent one brachial plexus birth injury.

Conclusions

Parity, previous shoulder dystocia, and previously delivering a neonate with brachial plexus birth injury are associated with future brachial plexus birth injury risk. These factors are identifiable prenatally and can inform discussions with pregnant individuals regarding brachial plexus birth injury risk and planned mode of delivery.