Expectant mothers usually like to focus on the positive and fun aspects of their pregnancy. They decorate their nurseries, buy their cribs, and pick out baby names. Unfortunately, not all pregnancies go smoothly. Some people experience severe complications, including umbilical cord issues, during their pregnancy or during the delivery of their babies, often due to umbilical cord problems. Many of these problems could be prevented with proper diligence and medical care.
If you believe your doctor or medical team failed to recognize and treat an umbilical cord-related pregnancy complication and it resulted in a birth injury or the loss of your baby, you have legal options. A compassionate New Haven umbilical cord issues lawyer can help you pursue justice in a medical malpractice claim.
The umbilical cord connects the baby to the mother during pregnancy. The cord starts in the placenta and connects to the baby through an opening in the baby’s stomach that later becomes the baby’s belly button. The cord contains three major blood vessels, which bring oxygen and vital nutrients from the mother’s bloodstream to the baby’s bloodstream through the placenta, and transport waste from the baby back to the placenta. The umbilical cord operates as a lifeline during pregnancy, and a fetus cannot survive without it until the baby is delivered and somebody cuts the cord. Infants can suffer serious health consequences when the cord does not function properly.
A pregnant patient’s obstetrician, midwife, and medical team are responsible for monitoring the fetus’s health and well-being during pregnancy and ensuring that labor goes smoothly. If a provider fails to notice an umbilical cord problem that another healthcare professional would have spotted and a baby suffers a birth injury, the baby’s family could have grounds for a civil suit. A hardworking New Haven attorney can meet with a family and help them understand their options for filing an umbilical cord issues case.
Various umbilical cord problems can arise during pregnancy, labor, and delivery.
A nuchal cord occurs when the cord wraps around the baby’s neck, cutting off the blood, oxygen, and nutrient supply to a baby. A nuchal cord also presents a strangulation risk. Doctors can usually observe a nuchal cord during an ultrasound, but not everyone has an ultrasound later in the pregnancy. Sometimes, there is no clear way of identifying a nuchal cord before labor. However, a medical team should monitor a baby’s heart rate during labor and delivery. If the baby’s heart rate decelerates rapidly, responsible doctors should act quickly to perform an emergency c-section.
A prolapsed cord happens when the cord drops through the cervix and delivers before the baby. The baby can suffer brain damage or even stillbirth from oxygen deprivation.
Vasa previa is a rare, life-threatening complication that occurs when blood vessels travel in front of the opening to the cervix. Those unprotected blood vessels could rupture during labor, resulting in bleeding and a serious risk of fetal death. Doctors can diagnose the condition from ultrasound or pelvic examination and should check for it when patients present with risk factors.
Knots in the umbilical cord are not uncommon. However, tight knots can cause the baby to suffer a loss of oxygen and blood flow, possibly resulting in brain injuries or stillbirth.
While some umbilical cord issues cannot be prevented or predicted, there are situations where a doctor’s diligence or early action can be the difference between a healthy child and a birth injury. A New Haven umbilical cord issues attorney can review a medical team’s actions to determine whether they constitute actionable obstetrical malpractice.
Pregnancy should be an exciting time. You should be able to trust that your doctors will competently care for you and your baby. When medical professionals violate your trust and cause serious injuries to you or your child, you deserve fair compensation for your losses.
Contact a New Haven umbilical cord issues lawyer at Berkowitz Hanna to learn more about your options. Our dedicated team is ready to get to work for you.
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