An error made by a medical professional can be costly, causing dangerous repercussions and side effects for an unsuspecting patient. In some cases, lack of proper medical care can harm more than just a single person alone; instead, negligent prenatal care can harm both a mother and an unborn baby.
Negligent prenatal care can be extremely devastating and can result in birth defects. The birth defect attorneys in New York from Gacovino, Lake & Associates can help you take action if negligent prenatal care harmed your child. Call us now at 800-550-0000 to review your case.
Types of Negligent Prenatal Care
Prenatal care is the type of healthcare given to a woman during her pregnancy before the child has been born. As such, prenatal care may include physical exams, ultrasounds, blood tests, weight checks, urine samples, heart rate and oxygen monitoring, medication recommendations, planning for birth, and more. According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, proper prenatal care can prevent complications.
Unfortunately, when prenatal care isn’t properly administered, complications may arise. The following are some examples of negligent prenatal care.
- Failure to conduct ultrasounds or other pertinent tests
- Failure to diagnose certain conditions (such as fetal hypoxia, placental abruption or maternal hypertension)
- Failure to recognize or treat other problems during pregnancy
If you want to take legal action, our birth defect lawyers in New York will help you establish that a healthcare professional was negligent and caused the birth defect that your child suffered.
Birth Defects Caused by Negligent Prenatal Care
There are a variety of birth defects that a baby may suffer when a doctor fails to provide adequate prenatal care. For example, undiagnosed hypertension in the mother (or abnormally high blood pressure in pregnancy, known as preeclampsia) is a leading known cause of preterm birth in the United States, according to the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition. Hypertension also can restrict the baby’s food supply. Some children who are born to mothers with preeclampsia may suffer from certain health problems.
The failure to identify placental abruption is another medical error during prenatal care. Placental abruption is the separation of the placenta from the uterus and can be dangerous for both mom and baby. Often, placental abruption will cause the baby to be deprived of oxygen or nutrients, which can result in developmental and learning delays. Placental abruption also can cause stillbirth or preterm delivery.
Fetal hypoxia is the deprivation of oxygen to the fetus. When fetal hypoxia goes undiagnosed, consistent deprivation of oxygen can have serious consequences for the unborn child, such as causing brain injuries. In other cases, an unborn child may die as a result of the condition. Fetal hypoxia is linked to a variety of conditions, including cerebral palsy.
Call the Birth Defect Attorneys at Gacovino, Lake & Associates
When a medical professional fails to deliver a sufficient level of care, he is said to have acted negligently. If negligent prenatal care caused a birth defect, then the healthcare professional responsible may be liable for your baby’s injuries and damages. Compensation via a malpractice lawsuit can help your child receive the care necessary to reduce symptoms and ideally improve his or her condition and quality of life.
At Gacovino, Lake & Associates P.C., our legal team is committed to making sure that your family receives the compensation to which it is entitled. To speak with our birth defect lawyers in New York today, call us now at 800-550-0000 or use our contact page to reach us.
