Diabetes in Pregnancy
Virginia Female Attorneys Stand up for Injured Mothers and Newborns
While most pregnancies flow smoothly, some expectant mothers develop medical conditions during pregnancy or after childbirth. One of the conditions related to pregnancy is gestational diabetes. Most mothers are caught off guard upon hearing the news that they have this condition since it can arise even if a mother has no history of diabetes or other related health issues.
Often, diabetes in pregnancy occurs when the doctor providing prenatal care fails to notice the warning signs and symptoms in a timely manner. When this happens, you need a Fairfax diabetes in pregnancy attorney from Jones & Rostant, PC, to prove that your or your partner’s diabetes developed as a result of negligent prenatal care.
The Development of Diabetes in Pregnancy
An attentive doctor should be able to control and treat gestational diabetes to help avoid any complications throughout pregnancy. However, some doctors fail to diagnose and treat diabetes in pregnancy properly, which can cause it to become worse and result in complications and birth injuries.
Typically, missing the warning signs of gestational diabetes in expectant mothers is considered medical malpractice, as any doctor adhering to the high standard of care should be able to diagnose the condition at its early stages.
If an obstetrician makes an error in judgment by not testing an expectant mother for gestational diabetes or fails to notice signs of diabetes in pregnancy, it can cause preventable and unnecessary harm to the mother and her baby.
What Is Gestational Diabetes in Pregnancy?
When left undiagnosed and untreated, gestational diabetes can result in various complications. Diabetes in pregnancy can affect not only the mother but also her baby. These effects include:
Uncontrolled sugar levels
Excessive birth weight
Hypoglycemia
Heightened risk of type 2 diabetes or obesity
Preterm birth
All of these complications can be addressed and prevented by a doctor to prevent any harm, birth injuries, and defects. But if a doctor fails to diagnose gestational diabetes correctly, neither the doctor nor the expectant mother will be able to begin the treatment as soon as possible to minimize the risks.
What Can Mothers with Gestational Diabetes Expect?
Aside from potential complications in a baby, diabetes in pregnancy can cause serious harm to the pregnant woman. Expectant women with gestational diabetes can expect the following:
Increased chance of developing type 2 diabetes following childbirth.
Heightened risk of developing preeclampsia, which causes high blood pressure and damage to such organs as the liver and kidneys.
Although diabetes in pregnancy is common, it can be prevented through timely and accurate diagnosis. When a doctor fails to correctly diagnose gestational diabetes and address the condition at its early stages, the pregnant mother may be entitled to file a medical malpractice claim in the event of complications.
Call our Virginia diabetes in pregnancy lawsuit lawyers at (703) 352-0522 for a free case review.
Contact Jones & Rostant, PC, to discuss how pregnancy in diabetes affects your health and your baby. Call at (703) 352-0522 or go to our contact us page.