When you represent families as New York medical malpractice lawyers over a period of 42 years, you come to understand that birth injuries can occur in more ways than people outside the medical world could ever imagine. Mistakes can be made by just about anyone involved with this sensitive process, and as many would assume mistakes that are made can be devastating given the vulnerability of the child that is being born. Fortunately, the vast majority of childbirths in the United States go relatively well and everyone winds up safe and healthy.
Unfortunately, medical professionals are human like everyone else and they too will make mistakes from time to time. These mistakes can occur well before a child is born, but the results of these mistakes can be just as devastating to the child as those that are made during delivery. Prenatal care is vitally important for both the mother and the child, and any negligent acts or omissions committed by those in charge of this care can have dire consequences. Below are five common mistakes that are made by medical professionals while an expecting mother is under their care.
1. Failure to Perform Tests
When a woman is pregnant, there are several common tests that are typically performed that will allow the medical professionals involved to evaluate the health of the mother, the viability of the fetus and any other problems that may exist. Failing to perform these tests would likely be considered negligent.
2. Failure to Study History
Genetics may be a mystery on some levels, but it’s widely known that children tend to inherit certain things from parents. This occurs before a child is born, and doctors need to thoroughly analyze a mother’s relevant medical history to identify any risk factors that could be present.
3. Failure to Recognize Fetal Distress
Something can go wrong with a pregnancy at almost any time, and doctors are not expected to be present every moment of every day. However, there are tests that can be performed that will identify fetal distress, and these tests should be administered if for no other reason than to be sure nothing is wrong.
4. Failure to Diagnose Pregnancy-Related Conditions
There are certain conditions that tend to arise during a pregnancy including hypertension or gestational diabetes, and the presence of these conditions can lead to extreme harm to the child when he or she is born. These problems need to be identified and properly managed.
5. Failure to Discover an Ectopic Pregnancy
Ectopic pregnancies are tragic for the parents, and they also need to be dealt with quickly and properly because if they persist they can threaten the lives of the mothers. Failure to recognize an ectopic pregnancy will lead to an even more intense tragedy.
If you are pregnant or you’re going to be at some point soon, you need to be unafraid to ask questions of your doctor even if they seem too blunt. This is your child and your pregnancy, and if you or your child has been harmed because of these or any other prenatal mistakes you need to contact The Fitzgerald Law Firm as soon as possible to schedule a free initial consultation.