An exciting time for expecting parents, pregnancy can be a joyful time. And while most expectant mothers do all the correct things, like exercising, eating healthy and going to regular obstetrician appointments, complications do still occur. Fortunately, most of the complications can be met head on with proper medical care to prevent long term problems.
Treatment and prevention of birth injuries and complications begins with good prenatal care. Prenatal care is highly recommended to all Ottawa pregnant women to combat the potential for birth defects and to improve the health of both mothers and children. In fact, according to The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, inadequate prenatal care significantly increases the risk of premature birth, low infant birth weight, infant mortality, maternal mortality, and neonatal mortality.
Medical Tests That May Assist You in Determining if Your Fetus is at Risk for a Birth Injury
Consequently, prenatal care should ideally be performed by an obstetrician or a family doctor who is competent in obstetrics. The first visit to your obstetrician should include a full physical exam that includes test used to anticipate or detect possible complications. Some of these tests include:
- A complete blood cell count (CBC) test
- Blood typing and screening for Rh antibodies
- Blood tests for infections such as syphilis, hepatitis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV
- Blood tests for evidence of previous exposure to chickenpox, measles, mumps, or Rubella
- Blood tests for cystic fibrosis
- Blood tests for diabetes
Even if no complications are found, your doctor should schedule you for regular follow-up exams during your pregnancy, which might include an ultrasound to detect fetal heartbeat, breathing movements, and various abnormalities that could affect delivery and the remainder of the pregnancy. roperly recognized through appropriate medical care, pre-labour complications can be taken care of and addressed in a timely manner to minimize injury to your baby.
Once labour begins, mothers should be monitored as well to ensure the well-being of her baby during this stressful time. By attaching an external monitoring devise to the mother’s abdomen, doctors and nurses can detect fetal heart rate as well as contraction frequency and length. When problems are encountered and detected on this monitor, doctors and nurses have an obligation to act. To fail to act should your baby be determined to be in distress is considered an act of negligence. Urgent intervention is a necessity when you or your baby is in distress. Failure to perform a caesarean section in a timely fashion could result in a serious birth injury. To do anything else, is an act of negligence and can result in:
- Brain injury
- Cerebral palsy
- Spastic diplegia
- Muscle tightness
- Brachial plexus injuries like erb’s palsy
- Paralysis
- Excessive bleeding
- Infections
- Skull or clavicle fractures
- Cranial nerve damage
- Spinal cord damage
An Ottawa Medical Malpractice Lawyer Can Assist you in Seeking Compensation for a Birth Injury
When proper and timely treatment is not promptly provided to a mother or infant in distress during delivery, the likelihood of birth injuries is increased significantly. And, while financial compensation for damage to your precious child may not reverse the complications of a birth injury, it can be quite helpful in providing care and treatment for any disabilities your child may face. An Ottawa birth injury lawyer skilled in the litigation of medical malpractice lawsuits can assist you in seeking compensation for your family in the event of a birth injury.
