Every family wants to experience an uneventful pregnancy. And while many pregnancies go according to plan, seemingly minor health conditions can lead to unexpected complications if your medical care team does not properly manage them. Gestational diabetes affects between 5-9% of pregnancies, and some of those pregnancies result in macrosomia that can complicate delivery. Those complications may make you eligible to file a lawsuit against your medical care team. But before you schedule an appointment with your Pennsylvania birth injury attorney, it’s helpful to understand how gestational diabetes and macrosomia can lead to birth injury claims.
What Is Gestational Diabetes?
Gestational diabetes refers to diabetes that mothers develop during pregnancy. Typically, the diabetes resolves after the child is born, but it can lead to complications, like an increased risk of macrosomia in some instances.
When you develop gestational diabetes, your blood sugar levels can be elevated throughout your pregnancy. This in turn causes the fetus to store that extra glucose, often resulting in higher fat levels and a much larger birth weight.
Controlling gestational diabetes can dramatically reduce the risk of macrosomia.
What Is Macrosomia?
Macrosomia happens when a child is born much larger than anticipated. While there’s no firm weight cutoff, most physicians consider babies born at over 8 pounds and 3 ounces to fit this category. Often, macrosomic babies are born perfectly healthy. However, their larger size can increase the risk of birth injuries and complications during delivery.
This includes injuries like the following:
- Shoulder dystocia: This occurs when the baby’s shoulders become stuck behind the mother’s pubic bone during delivery. This can lead to nerve damage in the baby (like Erb’s palsy) and injuries to the mother.
- Birth asphyxia: If the baby experiences difficulty passing through the birth canal, they may not receive enough oxygen, potentially leading to brain damage.
- Increased risk of Cesarean section: Macrosomia can make a vaginal delivery more difficult, increasing the likelihood of a C-section.
- Injuries to the mother: Mothers may experience perineal tears, hemorrhage, or other complications.
Do You Have a Birth Injury Lawsuit for a Macrosomic Birth?
It depends on the situation surrounding the birth of your child and the care and management of your gestational diabetes. Suppose your doctor failed to adequately monitor your health during your pregnancy and didn’t diagnose you with gestational diabetes or properly manage your blood sugar levels during your pregnancy. In that case, they may have breached the standard of care.
That breach may constitute medical malpractice, even if your child is born healthy. But if your child has macrosomia and suffers a birth injury during delivery or shortly after, you may also be able to pursue a lawsuit for that birth injury on top of your gestational diabetes.
Some common forms of medical negligence that may make you eligible to file a malpractice lawsuit include:
- Failure to screen for gestational diabetes.
- Failure to monitor your gestational diabetes.
- Failure to recognize signs of fetal distress and properly respond to it.
- Improper use of delivery tools.
If you think you or your child has been a victim of medical malpractice, speak with a Pennsylvania birth injury attorney as soon as possible. They’ll help you make sure that filing a lawsuit against your medical care team is in your best interest.
Let Latona Law Help
If you believe you suffered from medical malpractice or your child suffered a birth injury as a result of the care you received from your medical care, team, don’t wait. Schedule a consultation with Latona Law today and let our team help you decide on your best next steps.