Legal news reports that a $3 million birth injury settlement has been reached in a medical malpractice case involving a mother who had diabetes and was considered to have a high-risk pregnancy. While having a high-risk pregnancy doesn't necessarily mean that the mother will have difficulties with delivery, it generally means that health care providers should monitor the pregnancy more closely. In certain stiuations, it also means that doctors should order additional tests.
In the recent birth injury matter, the 26-year-old mother required hospitalization multiple times during her pregnancy for dehydration and nausea. However despite these potential complications, physicians determined that the baby's prenatal development was normal. When the mother went into labor a fetal heart monitor was placed on the baby, which indicated fetal distress. Rather than performing an immediate emergency C-Section, the medical professionals monitoring the woman's health failed to take prompt action to prevent the possibility of trauma to the baby.
According to the lawsuit, this resulted in decreased blood and oxygen being delivered to the baby, who then suffered oxygen deprivation. The lawsuit further alleged that the child was delivered 5 ½ to 7 hours later than he should have been. When he was delivered, he was limp and had to be placed on a ventilator. A subsequent MRI showed that the boy had suffered a stroke. The multi-million dollar settlement will help the family to provide care and necessities to the child throughout his life.
For more information, or if you believe you or someone you love has suffered a birth injury as the result of medical malpractice, please contact the experienced California birth injury lawyers at Bostwick & Peterson, LLp for an immediate consultation.