Polyhydramnios is a condition in which excess amniotic fluid collects in an expecting mother’s uterus. While this is not necessarily dangerous, if left untreated, polyhydramnios can lead to complications for the fetus. As a result, prompt diagnosis and careful monitoring of symptoms are critical, and failure to provide necessary care to an expecting mother with polyhydramnios may constitute medical malpractice.
Polyhydramnios is relatively rare. According to the Cleveland Clinic, only about one percent of expecting mothers experience polyhydramnios during their pregnancies. However, due to the potential for severe complications, doctors must still carefully assess potential warning signs, and they must intervene to protect the fetus as necessary. Doctors who fail to properly treat polyhydramnios could be liable for injuries that result. If you believe that you are suffering due to a medical professional’s malpractice, contact a Connecticut polyhydramnios lawyer to learn about your potential compensation options.
There are a number of risk factors that can increase the chances of an expecting mother experiencing polyhydramnios during pregnancy. These include maternal diabetes (including gestational diabetes), blood-type incompatibility, and congenital abnormalities, among others. However, polyhydramnios can occur during any pregnancy; and, during pregnancy, the expecting mother’s doctor must carefully monitor for signs of this potentially-dangerous condition. These signs include:
Symptoms of polyhydramnios may begin as early as the 16th week of pregnancy, although they are more common in the second and third trimesters.
Polyhydramnios occurs because the fetus is unable to sufficiently process the amniotic fluid in the womb. Amniotic fluid is essential to the fetus’s development, and it also serves to protect the fetus during pregnancy.
While too little amniotic fluid (a condition known as oligohydramnios) can be dangerous, too much amniotic fluid in the womb can be dangerous as well. Not only can excessive amniotic fluid in the womb mean that the baby may not be getting the nutrition and oxygen he or she needs, but it can also increase the risk of pregnancy complications. With these dual risks in mind, some of the potential risks associated with polyhydramnios include:
These and other risks associated with polyhydramnios can lead to oxygen deprivation, birth trauma, and other issues. As a result, birth asphyxia, cerebral palsy, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), seizure disorders, and various other birth injuries are all potential outcomes of polyhydramnios during pregnancy.
If your child has been diagnosed with any birth injury that is associated with polyhydramnios, it will be important for you to speak with an experienced Connecticut Polyhydramnios attorney about your family’s legal rights. Cerebral palsy, HIE, and the various other conditions linked to excessive amniotic fluid in the womb can have drastic consequences, and they can take enormous financial and emotional tolls on families.
At Berkowitz Hanna, we bring decades of experience to helping families recover just compensation for birth injuries caused by medical negligence. If your doctor failed to timely diagnose or treat your polyhydramnios, our lawyers can use their experience to prove your case and fight to make sure your family receives the compensation it deserves.
If your child has experienced complications from polyhydramnios, including complications from abnormal fetal presentation, macrosomia, placental abruption, umbilical cord prolapse, or premature birth, there are steps you should take promptly. Most importantly, you should speak with a Connecticut polyhydramnios attorney about your family’s legal rights.
When you contact us, we will schedule a time for you to meet with one of our attorneys in confidence as soon as possible. We will also provide you with a referral to a local specialist who can diagnose and treat your child. During your free initial consultation, your attorney will answer your questions, explain everything you need to know, and begin gathering the information he or she needs to determine if you have a claim for medical malpractice.
If you have a claim for medical malpractice related to polyhydramnios, our attorneys will handle the entire process for you—keeping you informed and involving you as necessary. In addition, your attorney will work with you to gain a clear understanding of the immediate and long-term effects of your doctor’s negligence so that he or she can seek maximum compensation on your family’s behalf.
If you would like more information about filing a birth injury claim for failure to timely diagnose or treat polyhydramnios, we encourage you to contact us promptly. To speak with a Connecticut polyhydramnios lawyer in confidence, please call or request a free consultation online today.
Berkowitz Hanna
