Ohio mothers and babies can suffer due to medical errors
Pregnancy, labor and delivery of a newborn baby are typically milestones in a woman’s life that bring joy and excitement to those involved. However, when a newborn infant suffers injury or chronic disabilities due to medical errors during or preceding his or her birth, a mother’s joy can quickly turn to sorrow. In such cases, it is good for Ohio mothers to know that there is legal help available should they choose to pursue litigation against parties deemed responsible for a child’s condition.
Untreated gestational diabetes is a condition that is known to have possible adverse effects on an unborn child. Mismanagement of maternal mid-pregnancy glucose can have devastating effects on an infant in the womb, including macrosomia (increased fetal head size), polycythemia and even death. Therefore, it is crucial that expectant mothers receive appropriate medical care throughout pregnancy and just as important for doctors to properly diagnose potentially dangerous conditions that could harm a baby before or during birth.
Data suggests an association between gestational diabetes and congenital heart disease. A recent study also showed that maternal glucose level was related to an increase of odds that an infant would suffer a certain type of heart malformation. Such information illustrates the need for prenatal care to be offered according to the highest level of acceptable standards in the industry.
One might ask what options are available to a mother whose child has suffered from substandard care during pregnancy or childbirth? If a woman in Ohio believes that medical errors resulted in harm to her infant, she is able to seek the guidance of a personal injury lawyer in order to obtain help in identifying all possible sources of liability so that accountability can be sought in a civil court. Depending on the severity of a birth injury or chronic condition, a child may be in need of continued medical care throughout his or her life, which can bring undue financial stress to a family. A successfully litigated case can lead to court-awarded compensation that can be used to help offset those costs.
Source: 2minutemedicine.com, “Maternal midpregnancy glucose linked to increased risk of congenital heart disease“, Maren Shapiro, Leah Bressler, Oct. 18, 2015