Mismanagement of High-Risk Pregnancies

High-risk pregnancies can cause extra stress and uncertainty. To ensure both mother and baby stay safe and healthy, their doctors, nurses, and care teams must carefully monitor the pregnancy. Proper prenatal care is especially crucial in the third trimester, when complications can rapidly escalate into emergencies.

When prenatal care providers fail to take appropriate preventative measures or recognize signs of distress, the results can be devastating. Substandard care can lead to serious injuries to both mother and child. If you or your baby has suffered injuries from negligent prenatal care, you may have grounds for a Michigan medical malpractice claim.

What Is a High-Risk Pregnancy?

Many factors increase the chances of complications during pregnancy. Some of these relate to the expectant mother’s health, age, or genetic markers. Others are unique to the developing child. Doctors consider a pregnancy “high-risk” when either the mother or baby faces a greater chance of complications. Common factors that can mark a pregnancy as high-risk include:

• Maternal high blood pressure or preeclampsia.
• Pre-existing or gestational diabetes.
• Multiple births (twins, triplets, etc.).
• Maternal age (especially under 18 or over 35).
• Placental problems or growth restrictions.
• Previous pregnancy complications or miscarriages.

A high-risk pregnancy requires extra steps to ensure maternal and fetal health. These may include more frequent ultrasounds, lab tests, and close and careful monitoring. Diligent prenatal care is especially critical in the third trimester.

Common Mistakes in Managing High-Risk Pregnancies

Prenatal care providers must thoroughly and competently monitor a mother throughout a high-risk pregnancy. Proper care may include referring a mother to specialized providers, such as a nutritionist or a maternal-fetal medicine specialist (also known as a perinatologist). They may recommend limited physical activity or bed rest as the pregnancy progresses.

As a mother enters the third trimester of a high-risk pregnancy, careful monitoring is even more important. It is crucial to respond immediately and appropriately to any signs or symptoms that indicate a potential problem. Unfortunately, some providers fail to do so. This may constitute negligence.

Common examples of negligent prenatal care include:

• Failure to monitor or respond to fetal distress. Changes in fetal heart rate can indicate that the fetus is not receiving enough oxygen. Oxygen deprivation, or hypoxia, can lead to brain injuries like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).
• Failure to diagnose preeclampsia. High blood pressure and protein in the urine are signs that a mother has preeclampsia, which can lead to seizures, stroke, or organ damage.
• Improper management of gestational diabetes. Poorly controlled blood sugar can cause the baby to grow too large, which can increase the chances of a difficult labor or make it necessary to perform a cesarean section.
• Delayed or missed C-section. If labor does not progress safely or the child is in distress/ danger, it may be necessary to perform a C-section promptly. Even a few minutes’ delay can threaten the mother’s health and result in a serious, life-long injury to the baby.
• Ignoring maternal complaints. Care providers should never brush off a mother’s complaints of pain, swelling, headaches, or vision changes during the final weeks of pregnancy.

Prenatal care mistakes can cause serious injuries, such as cerebral palsy, nerve damage, or even the loss of the baby or mother.

Holding Care Providers Responsible for Prenatal Care Mistakes

Numerous professionals can play a role in prenatal care, including OB/GYNs, family doctors, midwives, nurses, and other members of a hospital staff. Every one of them can be held accountable if their negligence causes or contributes to an injury to a mother or baby. For example:

• A prenatal physician may fail to identify factors that would mark a pregnancy as high-risk.
• An OB/GYN may fail to order necessary tests or respond to abnormal results.
• A hospital may minimize or ignore a mother’s complaints and fail to provide appropriate emergency care.
• A midwife or alternative care provider may fail to refer a high-risk patient to a physician or hospital in time to address critical issues.
• A nurse may ignore or overlook abnormal vital signs and fail to alert a doctor.

Under Michigan law, every person involved in a patient’s care has a legal duty to provide treatment that meets professional standards of care. If their failure to fulfill that duty harms a patient, they may be liable for malpractice.

Filing a Michigan Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

If you or your baby were harmed by negligent prenatal care, you may be able to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. A medical malpractice lawsuit can help you recover compensation for many types of damages, including:

• Medical bills.
• Future medical expenses.
• Lost wages.
• Pain and suffering.
• Long-term care and therapy expenses.
• Costs related to necessary caregivers or assistants.
• Emotional distress, pain, and suffering.

To succeed in a Michigan medical malpractice case, you must prove that a healthcare provider failed to meet the applicable accepted standards of care. You must also prove that this failure was the cause of your or your child’s injuries.

An experienced Michigan medical malpractice attorney will investigate the facts of your case and work with you to engage appropriate medical experts. They will build a strong case on your behalf, helping you recover the compensation you and your child deserve.

Pursuing a lawsuit can help you secure the financial support your family needs for the future. It can also help improve the safety of Michigan’s healthcare system and protect other families from similar harm. If you believe your high-risk pregnancy was mismanaged, our team of experienced, compassionate Michigan medical malpractice lawyers can help. Contact us today to learn more and schedule a complimentary, no-obligation consultation.