The full cycle of pregnancy and childbirth takes an average of nine months. Caring for yourself during your pregnancy is a critical point in giving birth to a healthy baby. If a child is born with birth defects, brain damage, or complications, your first instinct may be to target the hospital or the medical professionals attending to the birth process. The truth is that negligent OB-GYN care during your pregnancy may have contributed to the poor health of your child.
What an OB-GYN Should be Doing
During your pregnancy, you must see an OB-GYN routinely to check on your unborn baby and your health. Your OB-GYN is responsible for diagnosing conditions with the necessary tests to ensure you and the baby are both safe and progressing well. If, however, your OB-GYN fails to perform routine tests or fails to deliver the accepted standard of care, you and your baby may be at risk. Proper treatment can also include referring you to an appropriate specialist, as in the case of diabetes or blood pressure difficulties.
Injuries Caused by Inadequate or Negligent OB-GYN Care
The health of your unborn baby can be significantly affected by inadequate or negligent OB-GYN care and has a significantly increased risk of:
- Brain damage
- Stillbirth
- Congenital disabilities (birth defects)
- Neonatal death
Your health as the mother is also at risk, as medical conditions that go undetected or untreated during pregnancy can put you at risk of suffering a serious or fatal health condition.
How to Protect Yourself from OB-GYN Negligence
All parents need and want is a safe and successful birth, and our children to be born healthy. With that in mind, there are several actions you can do to protect yourself and your unborn child while pregnant:
- See your OB-GYN regularly and provide as much information as possible, including any unusual pain, sensations, or difficulties.
- If at any point you are concerned that you are being brushed off, get a second opinion. Don’t hesitate just because of a personal relationship you may have with your OB-GYN. Every day is critical, and if you have a problem, then it must be identified and treated at once.
Dealing with Birth Injuries
If your child was born with congenital disabilities or was injured during the birth process, it is one of the most difficult of all life experiences. Along with the devastation, confusion, and worry, medical bills can pile up rapidly – there is no time to waste in getting the legal help you need. Even if you feel the birth process was not to blame, an error may have occurred during your pregnancy, such as a failure to treat you for a condition.
When you contact our birth injury attorneys at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP, we don’t take hospitals or clinics at their word – we contact specialists and perform investigations to discover the facts and hold those responsible accountable. We know that money can’t fix an injured baby, but it can help you provide the best in medical care, new treatments, and support, along with providing for your young one’s future.