A grave complication that can happen in a pregnancy takes place when the placenta holding the unborn baby separates prematurely from the mother's uterus. This article considers a birth injury case involving such a placental abruption. The case involved a baby who sustained brain damage because of hypoxia caused by the abruption.
A placental abruption is a pregnancy complication that happens when the placenta detaches prematurely from the expectant mother's uterus.Among the most common symptoms to note are continual vaginal bleeding, serious abdominal or back pain, and continuous contractions. A severe abruption late in the pregnancy requires fast action, such as an emergency C-section, to safeguard the well being of her unborn baby.
Consider a reported case in which a short while after a pregnant nineteen year old was admitted to the hospital with persistent abdominal pain, constant uterine contractions and a hard abdomen, she started having severe vaginal bleeding that needed continuous replacing of towels to soak up the blood. Instead of notifying a doctor right away of this complication, the nurse showed the mother where the linen closet was in the room so that she could replace the towels herself.
Four or five hours after being admitted to the hospital, the mother was in excruciating pain and the nurse gave her a single dose of pain medication. When the baby's fetal heart rate went flat a mere five minutes later, the nurse did not attempt to wake the baby in order to rule out hypoxia and again did not contact a doctor. The nurse did not see this as an warning sign that the baby was in a highly dangerous condition but as a reaction to the pain medication given to the woman. The nurse still did not contact a doctor until fifty minutes after the fetal monitor went flat.
The doctor found meconium (often found in cases of extreme fetal distress) and also found that the heart rate monitor demonstrated progressive deep decelerations. The attending obstetrician then also came and performed an emergency C-section during which the physician confirmed that there had been a placental abruption. The baby showed signs damage to the central nervous system from a lack of oxygen. This was confirmed by testing later. The child has been diagnosed with developmental and mental retardation.
The allegation in the lawsuit that followed was that obstetrics nurse's failure to recognize the sings of the placental abruption, her failure to rule out an insufficient supply of oxygen to the baby, and her delay in notifying a doctor of the complication, led to avoidable significant harm to the baby. Despite the defendant's argument that the child would only live approximately 10 years, the child is expected to live only into his 40's. and will, for the remainder of his life need occupational, speech, physical therapy and continuous custodial care. The law firm that represented the family reported that they were able to reach a settlement in the amount of $1,100,000. Of that amount, $60,000 was for the parents. The remainder, in part paid as a cash payment and the rest as a structured settlement, was for the child.
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Severely Injured Bicyclist Compensated For Injuries Suffered In Motor Vehicle Accident
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