CLINICAL NOTE Shifting Umbilicus in Neonatal Phrenic Palsy (The Belly Dancer’s Sign)

PARALYSIS with or without brachial plexus injury (Fig. 1) is one of the troublesome causes of &dquo;respiratory distress. 111,2 The chest Fuzz. 1. Full-term infant admitted for &dquo;respiratory distress.&dquo; Note typical right brachial palsy and sloping occiput of breech position. x-ray may be misleading except when the film is obtained in deep inspiration; therefore, fluoroscopy is recommended to demonstrate paradoxic motion of the diaphragm (Kien-boeck’s sign)3 and to prevent needless cardiac catheterizatian. ~ 4 Fortunately, the existence of diaphragmatic paralysis can be recognized by observing the movement of the umbilicus during the res