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Pre-eclampsia is a condition which can occur in pregnant women when there is a problem linking the mother's blood supply to the foetus and if it is ignored or mis-treated through medical negligence then a case may be made for birth injury compensation.
Although it may not be outwardly noticeable in the woman who has pre-eclampsia, symptoms should be recognised by trained medical staff when making antenatal checks for high blood pressure, protein in the urine and fluid retention.
Pre-eclampsia usually occurs in the second half of pregnancy or immediately after the birth of the baby. It can cause growth problems in the foetus and the only way to prevent it worsening is for the baby to be born.
Inducing labour artificially early, i.e. before the 37th week of pregnancy, causes some risks to the baby's health and development. This has to be weighed against the potential problems for the mother if she goes on to have eclampsia.
Approximately six mothers a year die each year in the UK from medical complications linked to pre-eclampsia and several hundred babies do not survive the premature births involved.
Mild pre-eclampsia normally disappears after birth but some women may suffer fits and, therefore, must be adequately monitored by medical staff to protect their health.
Although medical research is continuing, the causes of pre-eclampsia are not fully understood. Family history can be a factor and if a woman has had the condition in a first pregnancy, it is quite likely to recur in subsequent pregnancies.
With up to 10% of first-time mothers liable to have the condition, including 1-2% developing it severely, it is a common problem for which medical staff should be alert and, once it has been diagnosed, women must receive suitable treatment.
Because the symptoms of pre-eclampsia vary from patient to patient, there is a risk of misdiagnosis, especially where pain is involved which can be confused with the extremely common, but unthreatening, condition known as heartburn. If a woman does not respond to the standard treatments for this, she should be referred for further tests.
Doctors and midwives who fail to consider the possibility of pre-eclampsia or who do not follow-up diagnosis with appropriate treatment within the best time period may leave themselves open to a case of clinical negligence being brought against them and possible payment of damages should the mother and/or child suffer as a result of their actions or neglect.
Birth injury compensation with YouClaim
The arrival of a new baby should be a time of great joy for a family and it is extremely distressing for all concerned if that is not the situation and, although money will not change the circumstances, winning birth injury compensation may help to lessen the practical effects of the harm suffered by mother or baby.
The personal injury lawyers of YouClaim have a great deal of experience in dealing with the aftermath of birth accidents and helping families who are justified in making claims for clinical negligence.
They are all supervised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority so you can be assured of the highest-possible professional standards allied to a sympathetic and helpful approach.
Wherever you live in the UK, at the click of a mouse you can have access to some of the best legal advice on birth injury compensation. Either complete the form on this page or call 0800 10 757 95 to find out about our special services.
