Obstetrics is the surgical specialty involved in dealing with the care of women and their children during pregnancy, childbirth and the period immediately after birth. Midwifery is the non-surgical equivalent.
Advances in technology and medicine have decreased the risks of pregnancy substantially. Still, the process can be a dangerous one for mother and child, particularly when maternal conditions such as gestational diabetes, hypertension, cardiac disease, renal disease or blood clotting abnormalities are involved. These conditions require timely diagnosis and ongoing management.
Obstetrical malpractice (or midwife malpractice) is the failure to diagnose such a maternal condition or the failure to properly manage a diagnosed condition. Failures in diagnosis or management of complicating maternal conditions can result in severe birth injuries for the child or mother or both.
You may have questions about your legal rights if you or your child has been injured as a result of complications from:
- Pregnancy-induced hypertension
- Toxemia
- Vaginal breech delivery
- Preeclampsia and eclampsia
- HELLP Syndrome
- Caesarian ("C-section") complications
- Uterine ruptures
- Postpartum hemorrhage
Other types of obstetric malpractice include the prescription of dangerous drugs during pregnancy that cause birth defects; failure to identify fetal distress; trauma to the baby resulting in Erb's palsy or cerebral palsy; and failure to closely monitor the baby during and shortly after a traumatic birth for conditions including birth asphyxia.
Call the Erie obstetrical malpractice lawyers at Purchase & George to discuss your obstetrics complications or birth injury case. We offer a free consultation and, if we decide to investigate your case, we'll advance the costs and recover fees and costs out any settlement or jury verdict.
