Regina asks about considerations for feeding a baby with a brachial plexus
injury.
The injury itself doesn't affect facial muscles, but it is a traumatic birth
injury, so you can assume the baby didn't have an easy time getting out, and
may be in pain.   Positioning must take this into account; partial swaddling
to support the affected arm and keep it in an anatomical position may help.
Some of the same measures as for clavicular fractures will help -same kinds
of positions. Also, the baby will be unable to use the affected hand to
search for the nipple, massage the breast, or to crawl and self-latch, and
this may delay the process more.  
Like virtually any newborn, this baby will respond positively to
skin-to-skin time, and any baby who has had a traumatic birth should be
getting extra skin-to-skin time, because the baby's mother needs it too.
I'm assuming that all the usual things to do when baby doesn't latch, are
being done, primarily feeding the baby and getting milk production started,
until it can feed on its own.  
Good luck, Regina.  Let us know how it turns out.
Rachel Myr
Kristiansand

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