Stamford Vasa Previa Lawyer

While the vast majority of pregnancies result in the births of healthy babies, many people still face difficulties during their pregnancies and deliveries. Some mothers have certain conditions that significantly increase their risk of developing certain pregnancy complications, such as vasa previa, that could cause their child to be born with life-altering complications or even die during the birth process.

If you believe your obstetrician, midwife, or other medical care provider failed to diagnose your vasa previa or failed to act appropriately during your child’s birth, you might have grounds to file a malpractice claim with the help of a birth injury attorney. A Stamford vasa previa lawyer can help you pursue financial compensation for your losses.

What is Vasa Previa?

Vasa previa is a relatively rare but potentially devastating pregnancy complication. Vasa previa happens when some blood vessels in the umbilical cord connecting the fetus to the placenta are located close to or across the cervix, which could block a fetus’ path through the birth canal. With vasa previa, blood vessels are outside the amniotic sac instead of inside, where they would be more protected and sheltered. Those blood vessels risk rupturing during labor when the mother’s water breaks. If the blood vessels rupture during childbirth, the mother could suffer a large blood loss, and the baby could also suffer consequences from an extensive loss of blood or loss of oxygen.

Being denied oxygen before birth could cause a child to be born with life-altering health consequences, such as cerebral palsy, developmental delays, cognitive disabilities, and other disorders. As the dedicated Stamford attorneys at Berkowitz Hanna know all too well, many babies die needlessly as a result of vasa previa.

How to Recognize Vasa Previa

Vasa previa is not always easy to recognize during an otherwise normal pregnancy, but there are often some risk factors, such as the following:

  • Bleeding during a pregnancy
  • Placenta previa, which means a low-lying placenta
  • Other placental abnormalities
  • Carrying multiples
  • The use of IVF
  • The mother had a prior c-section or other uterine surgery

If someone presents with any risk factors, a doctor should screen them for vasa previa.

There is no cure for vasa previa, but if an obstetrician diagnoses vasa previa, they can often successfully manage the condition and lower the risk of stillbirth or the child being born with developmental issues. However, the risk of stillbirth remains very high if the doctor does not recognize vasa previa before delivery. With a vasa previa diagnosis, doctors can monitor the mother and fetus throughout the pregnancy and deliver the baby via c-section before labor can start.

Doctors who fail to recognize the symptoms of vasa previa could be liable for malpractice if a family delivers a baby with a birth injury or who is stillborn. A hardworking attorney can help Stamford families hold negligent doctors accountable for their failure to properly diagnose or treat vasa previa.

Get in Touch with a Stamford Vasa Previa Attorney Today

Obstetricians, midwives, and other medical professionals who assist in delivering babies have a duty to provide reasonable and competent care. As part of that duty, they should recognize potentially life-threatening pregnancy conditions, such as vasa previa. They should know how to properly diagnose and manage these conditions.

If you lost your baby or your child suffered a birth injury due to vasa previa, contact a Stamford vasa previa lawyer at Berkowitz Hanna right away. Our dedicated legal team can work aggressively to hold those medical professionals responsible and accountable for their negligence. Set up your free consultation today.