Radial nerve palsies in the newborn.

Although usually omitted in the description of nerve injuries in the newborn, radial nerve palsies are not infrequent. The cause of the paralysis is not clear but the occasional coincidental finding of a patch of subcutaneous fat necrosis over the course of the radial nerve (Lightwood, 1951) suggests the possibility of direct trauma to the nerve. That the injury is not uncommon is supported by the observation of seven infants born in St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester, since 1953 with radial palsy, and an eighth seen by Professor Morris. In view of the scant literature on the subject it was considered worth while recording these cases.