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Failure to diagnose placenta previa in pregnant mothers

When a mother is pregnant with her baby, the placenta attaches to the uterine wall to provide oxygen and food to the baby and remove waste. The placenta is an organ inside the uterus. In a normal pregnancy, the placenta naturally attaches itself to the uterus’s top or side.

What is placenta previa?

Placenta previa happens when the placenta attaches itself to a lower place in the uterus and covers its opening, either wholly or partially. While the problem can sometimes correct itself by itself, it often does not- requiring a prompt diagnosis and medical intervention.

What happens if your doctor does not detect, diagnose and treat placenta previa in time?

Failure to detect, diagnose and treat placenta previa can seriously harm the mother and her baby. For the mother, the condition can lead to acute blood loss, which in turn can necessitate time-sensitive blood transfusions. The disease can be fatal to the mother if she loses too much blood.

Birth injuries

For the baby, the condition can lead to premature birth, which requires treatment, often using corticosteroids to speed up the baby’s lung development if they are born early.

Because failing to diagnose placenta previa can lead to premature birth, the baby can suffer severe brain injuries, including cerebral palsy and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, which can develop if the baby’s brain experiences a decrease in oxygen or blood flow.

If you experienced placenta previa and your doctor did not detect, diagnose and treat it in time, and it caused injuries to you or your baby, you may be able to recover damages. Failing to diagnose this condition constitutes a breach of a doctor’s duty of care.

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