Minnesota Fetal Monitoring Errors Lawyer
In the most ideal situations, a pregnancy proceeds normally and unborn children remain healthy before, during, and after the birthing process. Sadly, this does not always happen. Sometimes, a fetus may experience distress, most commonly when they are deprived of oxygen and they suffer a number of problems, such as permanent brain damage. Medically, this condition is known as hypoxia and it occurs either when the baby is still in utero or while the child is being born.
Fetal monitoring is used to identify fetal distress as soon as it occurs so doctors and other medical personnel can respond to it quickly. A failure to identify fetal distress by doctors has devastating consequences, and it can even result in the wrongful death of the unborn baby. If you or your child has been injured, our Minnesota fetal monitoring errors lawyer can determine if it was due to a fetal monitoring error, and will hold the responsible parties liable.
Common Fetal Monitoring Errors
Careless, or negligent, doctors and healthcare professionals are usually to blame for fetal monitoring errors. The most common types of these mistakes include:
- Lack of training in using a fetal monitor and/or analyzing abnormal heart patterns in the fetus
- Failing to use a fetal monitor correctly
- Improperly reading a fetal monitor and confusing the maternal and fetal heart rates for each other
- Failure to take necessary and immediate medical action when there are signs of fetal distress
- Faulty or defective fetal monitoring devices
- Failing to identify abnormal rhythms in the fetus’ heartbeat
- Failure to determine when a woman needs additional fetal monitoring
Unfortunately, the above are just a few of the most common types of fetal monitoring mistakes. Any time an unborn child is injured or suffers a wrongful death, parents should always speak to a Minnesota birth injury lawyer who can investigate it and determine whether negligence was responsible.
Complications Associated with Fetal Monitoring Errors
Fetal monitoring is one of the most important aspects of pregnancy, as it can make sure the unborn child does not suffer harm unnecessarily. When an unborn child is improperly monitored before and during birth, they can sustain a number of injuries. These include paralysis, brain damage, cerebral palsy, and developmental delays. The injuries an unborn child sustains as a result of fetal monitoring mistakes are a result of hypoxia, or the brain not receiving the adequate oxygen it needs to develop normally.
Expectant women can also suffer serious harm due to fetal monitoring errors. The main maternal injury is placental abruption, which is when the placenta detaches from the uterine wall. A woman suffering from placental abruption may have to spend several weeks or months on bed rest, losing income and incurring medical bills as well as other losses as a result. Placental abruption can also result in a stillbirth, which is a devastating loss to an expectant mother.
Our Birth Injury Lawyer in Minnesota Can Advise on Your Case
If you or your child has been injured and you suspect it was due to a fetal monitoring error, our Minnesota birth injury lawyer can help you claim the full settlement you deserve. At Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC, our seasoned attorney knows the devastating effects fetal monitoring errors cause, and how to hold healthcare professionals liable when they occur. Call us today or contact us online to schedule a free consultation and to learn more about how we can help.
