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Chicago Med Mal Attorneys / Chicago Cord Prolapse Attorney

Chicago Cord Prolapse Attorney

An umbilical cord prolapse can be extremely dangerous, and it can result in brain damage to a newborn or even death. There are a number of risk factors for an umbilical cord prolapse, including preterm labor, breech presentation, pregnancy with twins, and other factors. Doctors have a duty to consider certain risk factors and to diagnose an umbilical cord prolapse prior to or during birth and delivery. When an ob-gyn or another healthcare provider identifies or diagnoses an umbilical cord prolapse, it is critical to act immediately in order to reduce the risk of severe or life-threatening injury to your baby. If you experienced an umbilical cord prolapse and your baby suffered serious injuries, you should seek advice from a Chicago cord prolapse attorney.

What is Umbilical Cord Prolapse in Chicago?

What is an umbilical cord prolapse, and how can it cause birth injuries? First, it is important to understand the function of the umbilical cord. As WebMD explains, the umbilical cord is a “tub-like structure [that] connects your unborn baby to your placenta,” and it serves multiple different functions. It carries blood to the developing baby, and it also removes waste products from the baby. What does it mean when the umbilical cord prolapses?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, umbilical cord prolapse is a condition that “occurs when the umbilical cord drops (prolapses) between the fetal presenting part and the cervix into the vagina.” This condition can occur before or during labor and delivery, and it occurs in about 1 out of every 300 births. When the umbilical cord prolapses, the Cleveland Clinic explains that “the prolapsed cord is compressed,” and the baby can be deprived of oxygen. Oxygen deprivation as a result of an umbilical cord prolapse can result in brain damage to the baby and, in some cases, stillbirth.

Causes of Umbilical Cord Prolapse in Chicago

There are a number of potential causes of an umbilical cord rupture either prior to or during delivery. Those reasons, according to the Cleveland Clinic, can include, for example:

  • Preterm labor;
  • Premature membrane rupture;
  • Pregnancy with twins, triplets, or other multiple gestation pregnancy;
  • Excessive amniotic fluid (known as polyhydramnios); and
  • Breech presentation, or malpresentation of the fetus.

Healthcare providers have a duty to recognize and manage an umbilical cord prolapse before or during labor and delivery. Doctors and other healthcare providers most often diagnose an umbilical cord prolapse during a pelvic exam, where they can see or touch the prolapsed umbilical cord. In other cases, an abnormal fetal heart rate of less than 120 beats per minute (known as bradycardia) can be a sign of an umbilical cord rupture.

When a healthcare provider diagnoses an umbilical cord rupture, it is critical for the baby to be delivered immediately, and typically through a cesarean section (C-section). The doctor also should relieve the compression caused by the prolapsed umbilical cord until the C-section can be performed in order to reduce the likelihood of an injury to the fetus.

Contact a Birth Injury Attorney in Chicago

If your newborn suffered a serious or life-threatening injury because of an umbilical cord prolapse, our Chicago birth injury attorneys are here to help. Contact Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC to learn more about filing a claim for financial compensation.

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