From the moment a doctor first confirms a woman’s pregnancy, they have an obligation to provide proper prenatal care and take necessary precautions to protect both the mother and the fetus. Negligent or inadequate pre-birth care can result in unnecessary harm to the mother and child.
Common pre-birth forms of negligence
There are many ways a medical professional in Oregon can drop the ball when it comes to providing a pregnant woman with medical care that meets accepted medical industry standards. These are some of the most common forms of pregnancy-related negligence.
Failure to provide adequate prenatal care
Every woman is different, and many women have conditions or characteristics that put their babies at a higher risk for birth injuries. If a mother has one or more of the following conditions, the doctor should take additional precautions.
- Obesity
- Advanced age
- Gestational diabetes
- Preeclampsia
- High or low blood pressure
- Nutritional deficiencies
Failure to properly diagnose and treat pre-birth medical conditions
Obstetricians and other medical professionals who care for pregnant women are responsible for making sure that the birthing process goes as smoothly as possible. In order to avoid injuring the mother or baby, diagnosing and treating certain medical conditions including:
- Gestational diabetes – Failure to diagnose and treat gestational diabetes can cause a condition in the fetus called microsomia, causing the baby to suffer from high blood pressure or cholesterol, high or low blood sugar, and shoulder dystocia (large shoulders which could lead to birthing complications).
- Preeclampsia – Failure to diagnose and treat preeclampsia, or even a delay in diagnosis and treatment, could cause complications that affect both the mother and child, including HELLP syndrome, eclampsia, placental abruption, and heart disease. As a result of these complications, a mother may suffer strokes, seizures, and/or multi-organ damage, and a baby may have cerebral palsy or heart disease.
The responsibilities of an obstetrician, gynecologist, or other medical professional working with soon-to-be mothers begin long before the woman goes into labor. If your doctor has provided you with negligent care throughout your pregnancy, and you or your baby suffered harm as a result of this negligence, you may have a legitimate medical mal