Midwives, obstetricians, and other healthcare practitioners are responsible for carefully monitoring pregnancies and doing everything possible to help their patients successfully deliver healthy babies. When medical workers make mistakes during a patient’s pregnancy, labor, or delivery, serious problems can occur. Doctors who fail to recognize and manage pregnancy complications like vasa previa put the lives of unborn babies at risk.
If your child suffered because of misdiagnosed or mismanaged vasa previa, you might have grounds to file a birth injury suit. A knowledgeable Danbury vasa previa lawyer at Berkowitz Hanna is ready to help you with your claim.
While relatively rare, vasa previa is one of the most dangerous types of pregnancy complications. If not properly managed, the condition can potentially cause life-altering birth injuries or stillbirth. In a normal pregnancy, the blood vessels that carry blood, oxygen, and nutrients to a fetus are inside the umbilical cord. In a patient with vasa previa, some blood vessels develop outside the umbilical cord and travel across the cervix. Because the cord cannot shelter the blood vessels in that location, they are unprotected. If the patient goes into labor, the contractions or membranes breaking could cause the vessels to rupture, leaving the fetus extremely vulnerable to excessive blood loss.
Because vasa previa is so rare, not many legal professionals understand the condition. Working with a Danbury lawyer who has experience with vasa previa claims is essential. Educated attorneys know how to interpret complex medical records. They also work with medical experts who are familiar with the condition and its potential outcomes.
Pregnant patients cannot usually tell if they suffer from vasa previa. Other than rare instances of vaginal bleeding, most patients with vasa previa do not have any symptoms. However, responsible doctors should know which patients have increased susceptibility to developing the condition. Because the risks of severe birth injuries and stillbirth are so high with vasa previa, experienced healthcare professionals should be diligent about trying to identify the condition.
If a medical team fails to diagnose vasa previa and the mother goes into labor, the baby could suffer birth injuries that affect them throughout their life, such as:
If the exposed blood vessels rupture during labor, they can no longer deliver oxygenated blood to the fetus. Without oxygen, the baby could suffer asphyxiation that could lead to developmental delays or stillbirth.
When doctors recognize vasa previa before a mother goes into labor, they have the opportunity to take precautionary measures. Most obstetricians closely monitor both the mother and the fetus. More frequent checkups, non-stress tests, and ultrasounds are required. Some doctors ask mothers to be on strict bedrest at home or even in the hospital to reduce the risk they go into labor. Most doctors schedule c-sections in advance to protect the baby and mother.
A dedicated Danbury vasa previa attorney can review the actions taken by the medical staff to see if they deviated from reasonable medical standards.
Dealing with the aftermath of a traumatic birth can be overwhelming. While you focus on healing physically and emotionally, let a Danbury vasa previa lawyer handle your legal claim. Our experienced attorneys at Berkowitz Hanna have the background necessary to help with complex medical malpractice cases. They understand the terminology and are familiar with medical practices.
If your doctor mishandled your vasa previa, let an informed attorney advise you on the options available to your family. Call today to set up your free initial consultation.
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