Obstetric Brachial Plexus Palsy and mental wellbeing in children
Research type
Research Study
Full title
How does Obstetric Brachial Plexus Palsy (OBPP) affect mental wellbeing in children?
IRAS ID
295099
Contact name
Amy Swift
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Northumbria
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 4 months, 28 days
Research summary
This study seeks to determine the impact having Obstetric Brachial Plexus Palsy has on mental wellbeing in children. Obstetric Brachial Plexus Palsy is a physical disability resulting in paresis of the arm. Deriving from birth trauma, OBPP affects from one up to all five primary nerves that supply the movement and feeling to the arm. Paralysis can be partial or complete, with the damage to each nerve ranging from bruising to tearing.
To evaluate this a mixed methods approach is intended to be utilised with both methods running simultaneously alongside each other. Interviews will be conducted with children and then their parents to explore the child’s perception of their injury and the factors which may impact their mental wellbeing. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis will be used to analyse the interview transcripts, an approach that reflects the nature of the research which is to gain detailed understanding of their personal lived experiences. A survey will also be developed and disseminated to health care professionals who regularly treat children with the condition. The data will be subject to inferential statistics to determine how statistically significant the variables are in clinical practice to indicate the levels of support and treatment for mental wellbeing in the children they routinely see with OBPP.
The findings will be shared with various audiences using different approaches including an article to be featured in the Erb’s Palsy Group Charity magazine and on their website.REC name
London - Bloomsbury Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/LO/0350
Date of REC Opinion
14 May 2021
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion