Complications of High Risk Pregnancy
Negligence in Prenatal Care • Failure to Prevent Premature Birth
Certain women are at greater risk for medical conditions and events that can harm their developing fetus or endanger their own lives. If doctors and staff are not proactive in screening and diligent in managing a high-risk pregnancy, they should be held accountable when the mother or baby is injured or dies.
Were you the victim of bad medical advice or negligent care? Contact the skilled and compassionate birth injury attorneys of Becker & Mishkind for a free case evaluation at 1-800-826-2433. Our Cleveland, Ohio, law firm handles cases statewide, and in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Illinois.
Mismanaged High Risk Pregnancy
Our accomplished trial lawyers have secured monetary damages for negligent care of women in high-risk situations, including:
- Vaginal birth after caesarean section (VBAC)
- Multiple gestation (twins, triplets, etc.)
- Preterm birth
- Advanced maternal age
- Gestational diabetes, chronic hypertension, preeclampsia. anemia
- Cephalopelvic disproportion/macrosomia (birth canal too small/baby too big)
Early screening and regular prenatal visits are crucial to monitoring the health of the baby. Negligence may involve simple failure to perform routine tests, such as frequent fetal Non-Stress Tests (NST). Other errors include failure to recognize fetal distress or ominous symptoms in the mother, inappropriate response to complications, and failure to plan for C-section when indicated.
From the spectrum of cases we've handled over many years, we are adept at going back to uncover the medical mistake to prove liability on the part of physicians, nurses, medical technicians and hospital labs.
Prematurity: Prevention and Management
In particular, a high-risk pregnancy is more prone to premature birth. These babies are far more susceptible to developmental problems, delivery trauma and neonatal death. Every effort must be made to prolong gestation, while also monitoring for distress that may require emergency delivery.
Negligence leading to premature birth or complications in preemies includes failure to:
- Detect problems during ultrasound studies
- Diagnose and treat preeclampsia or infection
- Diagnose and treat incompetent cervix
- Recognize premature rupture of membranes and treat
- Recognize pre-term labor
- Administer tocolytics to stop pre-term labor
- Perform an emergency C-section
- Administer corticosteroids to the fetus if premature birth is imminent
- Treat respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in newborns
- Monitor the newborn for dehydration, hypovolemia, low glucose, and seizures
There are numerous ways a high-risk pregnancy can go wrong, and not every adverse event is a doctor's fault. However, if you were not informed of the risks and warning signs, or if medical professionals failed to follow standard protocols, they may be responsible for the financial and emotional consequences.
Contact Becker & Mishkind at 1-800-826-2433 to discuss the specifics of your possible claim for damages. We can make home or hospital visits, or meet clients at our locations in Cleveland and Elyria.
