Placental abruption is a rare but severe complication that can occur during pregnancy, typically during the third trimester. If the symptoms of placental abruption are not detected quickly and treated correctly, it can deprive the baby of oxygen and result in birth injuries or defects.
Obstetricians and other healthcare staff monitoring you during pregnancy must watch for symptoms of conditions like placental abruption. If they do not provide adequate care during your pregnancy or delivery, you can hold them liable for harm to you or your child.
Learn the procedures for treating this condition and how our Chicago birth injury lawyers at Beam Legal Team can help you seek compensation if doctors don’t follow this standard of care.
What is Placental Abruption?
Placental abruption is a pregnancy complication where the placenta partially or fully detaches from the inner uterine wall. While the exact causes are unknown, pregnant women with high blood pressure (hypertension) are at an increased risk of developing placental abruption.
If not detected and treated on time, placental abruption can have severe consequences for your child. The most common complications of placental abruption include:
- Hypoxia: Severe cases of abruption can cut off the baby’s oxygen supply, resulting in hypoxia. This lack of oxygen can cause brain damage and increase the risk of severe, long-term neurological conditions or developmental problems.
- Fetal Growth Restrictions: Slow and progressive cases of placental abruption can restrict the baby’s supply of nutrients, preventing them from growing normally. Fetal growth restrictions can also cause lifelong health issues, such as neurological development delays or chronic conditions.
- Stillbirth: Failing to treat placental abruption on time can eventually deprive the baby of too much oxygen or nutrients, leading to the baby’s death in the womb.
Treating Placental Abruption
Detecting and treating placental abruption requires a combination of professional assessments and continuous monitoring of you and your baby. This can include the following procedures:
- Initial Evaluation: Healthcare providers conduct a thorough evaluation using physical exams to check for signs like abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding and measure maternal blood pressure. This immediate assessment helps identify potential placental abruption.
- Diagnostic Testing: Your doctor may use advanced ultrasound imaging to visually assess the placenta’s condition and your baby’s health. Testing could also include fetal heart rate monitoring and maternal blood test to gauge the abruption’s impact.
- Hospitalization for Monitoring: Once placental abruption is diagnosed, you may be hospitalized for rigorous monitoring. This involves regularly checking your baby’s heart rate and health indicators to quickly identify any worsening conditions or developing complications.
- Symptom Treatment: Your medical team will work to manage acute symptoms and prevent complications by administering pain relief, stopping vaginal bleeding, and providing IV fluids to maintain hydration and blood volume. For serious blood loss, a blood transfusion may be necessary.
- Fetal Wellbeing Assessment: Your doctor will regularly check the baby’s heart rate and conduct ultrasound exams to make sure your baby stays healthy. This monitoring is crucial for spotting any signs of distress, which helps determine when and if an intervention is needed.
- Delivery Planning: Based on the health of you and your baby and the progression of the placental abruption, the healthcare team decides whether to proceed with vaginal delivery or perform a cesarean section to ensure the safest outcome for you both.
Failure to diagnose, detect, or treat placental abruption constitutes a failure to follow standards of care, potentially making your doctor, the hospital, or its staff liable for harm to you or your child. For instance, if a doctor overlooked or dismissed a common symptom or failed to perform necessary interventions, their actions may be considered negligent.
How a Birth Injury Lawyer Can Help
Hospitals, medical professionals, and insurance providers may deny negligence claims and prevent you from recovering compensation. Contact a skilled birth injury lawyer from Beam Legal Team to help you with the following:
- Understanding of Medical Negligence Laws: Our birth injury lawyers have years of experience studying and understanding the laws regarding medical negligence. We can help you form a legal strategy to prove your caregivers acted negligently and failed to provide you and your baby the care you deserved.
- Access to Medical Experts: We can contact reputable experts, such as obstetricians, neurologists, and maternal-fetal specialists, to build your case. They can analyze the circumstances and provide reliable testimony to support your negligence claim.
- Dealing with Denial Tactics: Most hospitals and caregivers deny compensation, arguing that the adverse outcomes were inevitable or that they met the standards of care. Our experienced lawyers are familiar with these tactics and can use evidence like procedural documentation, medical records, and witness testimony to dispute these claims.
- Maximizing Compensation Amounts: Our team is dedicated to ensuring you receive proper compensation for your costs, pain, suffering, and any losses experienced. We have the expertise to evaluate the scope of your damages and are committed to securing a fair settlement for you through negotiation or court.
Let Beam Legal Team Protect Your Rights After a Serious Birth Injury
If you or your child is harmed in a birth injury accident, you need qualified legal assistance to help protect your rights. At Beam Legal Team, we specialize in birth injury cases like placental abruptions and have the knowledge and experience to hold providers accountable.
We’re here to support your family and assist in obtaining a recovery award to cover any losses or health impacts on you or your child. Reach out to us today for a free consultation with one of our attorneys, who will guide you through the next steps.