If you haven’t already watched Sunday’s episode of Downton Abbey, then you may want to hold off on reading this blog post. For many fans, it was devastating to watch the family’s youngest daughter, Lady Sybil, die from preeclampsia during childbirth.
One of the controversies surrounding her unexpected passing is that despite the fact that her family doctor detected the symptoms for the condition, her other physician, who was brought in to deliver the baby, squelched that diagnosis and made the wrong diagnosis that she was fine.
Unfortunately, preeclampsia continues to be a serious threat even today and can be caused by Boston birthing malpractice. Consisting of high blood pressure and proteinuria, symptoms of the preeclampsia can include hypertension, proteinuria, headaches, vision problems, stomach pain, dizziness, vomiting, abrupt increase in weight, and edema. If not treated, preeclampsia can prove fatal for the mother and/or baby.
It is important that your doctor, obgyn, midwife, or nurse monitor your condition during your pregnancy to make sure you don’t develop this. Pre-eclampsia can lead to other complications, including cutting off blood flow to the placenta, placental abruption, eclampsia (preeclampsia in addition to seizures), HELLP syndrome (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes & low platelet count), cardiovascular disease, organ failure, and, as we mentioned earlier, even death.
Our Boston birthing malpractice lawyers represent families whose moms and/or babies suffered serious health complications during pregnancy or delivery because a medical professional was negligent.
Other reasons parents might want to file a Massachusetts birth injury lawsuit:
• Cerebral Palsy • Erb’s Palsy • Failure to monitor the vitals of mom and baby during delivery • Shoulder dystocia • Vacuum extraction injuries • Failure to provide proper prenatal care • Wrongful birth • Failure to order up proper tests prior during pregnancy • Failure to diagnose gestational diabetes and other worrying conditions during pregnancy • Brain damage • Skull fracture • Brain hemorrhage • Birth asphyxia • Poor post-delivery monitoring • C-section delays
Up to 8% of pregnant or postpartum women suffer from preeclampsia each year.
Related Web Resources:
Preeclampsia, Preeclampsia Foundation
Downton Abbey, PBS
Birth Injury, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford
More Blog Posts:
Boston Birthing Malpractice Can Leave Entire Families With Lifelong Costs, Pain, and Suffering, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, August 9, 2012
Poor Patients are Less Likely to File Medical Malpractice Lawsuits, Reports New Study, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, February 27, 2012
Massachusetts Hospitals Seek Medical Malpractice “Road to Reform,” Boston Injury Lawyer, April 18, 2012