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What is prenatal negligence?

Jun 26, 2023

Alarming Increase of Birth Injuries Malpractice

No mother wants to believe their prenatal care provider could have been negligent. But the sad reality is that malpractice-related birth injuries are on the rise. If you or your child has been the victim of such medical negligence, it’s important to understand your rights and options. 

In this blog post, we will explore the issue of prenatal negligence and birth injuries. We will also provide some resources for mothers affected by this growing problem.

What is Prenatal Negligence?

Prenatal negligence is a medical term used to describe when healthcare professionals provide sub-standard care during gestation, which results in a birth injury to the baby. This can include failure to diagnose and treat conditions that could lead to premature childbirth, breech births, low birth weight, and failure to monitor the fetus during pregnancy properly.

Birth injuries are a serious problem in the United States, with an estimated 1 in 33 babies born each year suffering from some form of preventable birth injury or fetal distress.

Prenatal medical negligence is often the result of a lack of communication between negligent medical providers and patients and a lack of coordination between different medical staff. In some cases, it may also be due to a provider’s inexperience in preventing any form of birth injury or fatigue.

Types of Prenatal Negligence

There are several types of prenatal negligence that can occur during pregnancy, labor, and childbirth. All these often lead to a birth injury. Some of the most common types of prenatal medical negligence include:

  • Improper prenatal monitoring of the mother and unborn child
  • Failure to diagnose or treat a medical condition that the mother or baby has
  • Failure to properly manage labor and delivery of the baby
  • Giving the mother or baby unnecessary medication or treatment
  • Failure to check relevant medical records, which can stimulate a birth injury.
  • Failure to provide adequate postnatal care due to medical expenses
  • Failure to diagnose gestational diabetes
  • Failure to prevent or stop excessive bleeding that could lead to maternal death
  • Oxygen deprivation during a C-section, which leads to a birth injury
  • Failure to provide adequate nutrition for the mother during pregnancy


Causes and Effects of Prenatal Negligence

Prenatal negligence can occur before, during, or after pregnancy. Birth injuries caused by prenatal negligence are on the rise, and they can have lifelong consequences for both children and parents.

There are many different causes of prenatal negligence. Sometimes, it may be due to medical professionals failing to provide quality medical care during labor and delivery. In other cases, it may be due to a failure to diagnose or treat a condition that could lead to congenital disabilities or complications. Still, other times, it may be due to medical errors during childbirth.

The use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) is also on the rise. These procedures, often performed by doctors, involve multiple embryos implanted into the mother’s womb, which can increase the risk of severe injuries. Lastly, the increasing number of C-sections doctors perform is also a contributing factor. 

The effects of prenatal negligence can be devastating. Birth injuries can cause physical pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and financial hardship. In some cases, they can even lead to maternal death. If you’re a victim of a birth injury caused by prenatal negligence, it’d be ideal to seek help from an experienced birth injury lawyer as soon as possible.

Getting the service of an experienced medical malpractice attorney will be very vital in proceeding with your birth injury claim. They will help you file a birth injury lawsuit to get the justice you deserve for any birth-related medical malpractice.

Statistics on Prenatal Negligence

As the number of prenatal negligence cases continues to rise, so does the need for accurate statistics on the matter. Here are some key points to keep in mind:

  • Prenatal negligence accounts for different types of birth injuries each year.
  • The most common type of prenatal negligence that causes a child’s birth defect is failure to properly monitor the mother and child during pregnancy.
  • Prenatal negligence can lead to serious complications for both the mother and child, including cerebral palsy, brachial plexus injury, brain damage, brain bleeds, uterine rupture, shoulder dystocia, scalp swelling, spinal cord injuries, birth trauma, bone fractures, Erb’s palsy, and others.
  • Babies who suffer from any birth injury due to prenatal negligence have a higher risk of developing lifelong health problems.

What You Can Do to Protect Yourself from Prenatal Negligence

There are some things you can do to protect yourself from prenatal negligence. First and foremost, it is important that you are aware of the signs and symptoms of birth injuries. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, bring it up with medical experts immediately.

It is also important to be proactive in your own health care. Be sure to keep all appointments and follow any advice given to you by your care team. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or express any concerns about the physical injury you may have.

Finally, make sure you are familiar with your rights as a patient. If you feel like you or your baby have been harmed due to medical negligence in the delivery room, you may be able to take legal action. However, it is important to speak with an experienced attorney who can help determine if you have a case and consequently help you file birth injury lawsuits.

Conclusion

In recent times, there has been an alarming increase in birth injuries malpractice due to prenatal negligence. This is an issue that needs to be addressed, as it can have a profound impact on the lives of those affected. If you or one of your family members have been the victim of prenatal negligence, it is important to seek legal help from Pittsburgh birth injury attorneys as soon as possible.

At Frischman & Rizza, we have a legal team that can help you understand your rights and options in birth injury cases and fight for you to receive financial compensation for the malpractice. We’ll also help you file a medical malpractice lawsuit against any medical negligence you may encounter.

Contact Pittsburgh birth injury lawyers Frischman & Rizza for a free case evaluation today.


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