Pregnancy and childbirth is supposed to be a beautiful time in any mother's life, despite the morning sickness and other pregnancy-related symptoms. In some cases, the negligence of a physician can cause detrimental harm to the mother and/or baby. If you believe that a doctor put your or your baby's health at risk or caused an injury, you may be able to sue to cover medical costs and other damages. Here are three types of medical malpractice cases that involve pregnancy and childbirth you should know about.
Failure To Diagnose Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes is a form of temporary diabetes that affects some pregnant women. With proper prenatal care and a healthy diet, women with this type of diabetes can have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. If the condition goes untreated, however, it can lead to a condition called macrosomia. This can cause the baby to be larger than normal, making a vaginal delivery more complicated. The baby's shoulders might be injured during labor as he or she exits the birth canal. Babies with this condition are also at risk for respiratory problems and may be more likely to develop diabetes as an adult. If your doctor failed to diagnose your gestational diabetes, you may have grounds for a lawsuit to cover any medical conditions your child developed as a result of the missed diagnosis.
Allowing Prolonged Labor
While not every labor goes quickly, your doctor should be able to judge when the labor has gone on too long. The baby may have low oxygen levels or an abnormal heartbeat, both of which can lead to serious complications. An experienced physician will be able to make the call to perform an emergency cesarean section, but not all doctors make the call in time. If you or the baby were in distress during labor, you might not have been in a position to advocate for your own medical needs. In the event that there was an injury to the baby as a result of prolonged labor, contact a personal injury attorney, like those at The Gil Law Firm, to fight for compensation to cover medical expenses associated with the injury.
Anesthesia Failure
If you end up having an emergency C-section, the anesthesiologist should ensure that you have the proper medication to block the sensation of the surgery. In some cases, the anesthesia may fail or wear off during the procedure. There may simply not be enough time to put a spinal or epidural in place properly because of the complexities of administering this type of pain blocker. Anesthesia failure can be emotionally and physically traumatic for the mother and can take away from the beauty of childbirth. If your doctors were unable to successfully block the pain associated with the surgical procedure, you may be able to sue for the emotional trauma you endured.
Your personal injury attorney can walk you through the steps needed to file a suit. Remember that suing after a complicated childbirth or missed diagnosis is about getting the money you need to cover the costs to treat injuries caused by medical negligence so you can focus on raising your family.
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