CLINICAL AND NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF BRACHIAL PLEXOPATHY IN INFANTS: A NARRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW

Obstetric brachial plexopathy is a leading cause of neonatal upper-limb paralysis, yet no unified algorithm integrates clinical scales, electrophysiology and imaging to guide treatment in children aged 0–2 years. This narrative review synthesised 40 publications in English, Russian and Uzbek, covering epidemiology, risk factors, assessment tools, prognosis, rehabilitation and surgery. Most infants recover spontaneously, but 20–30% retain deficits. Failure of elbow flexion or extension by one to three months is the most consistent referral trigger. Needle electromyography may identify severe injury early, whereas some national protocols consider early electrophysiology of limited value, and MRI shows moderate accuracy for root avulsion. Surgery before about nine months appears favourable, and nerve transfers may improve shoulder rotation. Rehabilitation evidence is heterogeneous. Integrated clinical–neurophysiological indices and individualised algorithms remain unvalidated, which justifies prospective studies in this age group.