Chicago Placental Abruption Attorney
Placental abruptions often occur suddenly, and they require immediate medical treatment. When a placental abruption occurs, injuries to both the pregnant mother and to the baby can happen, and those injuries can be severe and life-threatening. When a healthcare provider fails to properly identify risk factors for a placental abruption and to help the pregnant mother with appropropriate care during the pregnancy, or fails to identify a placental abruption and to treat it quickly and appropriately, it may be possible to file a birth injury claim. An experienced Chicago placental abruption lawyer at our firm can talk with you today about your circumstances and help you to determine your eligibility for filing a claim.
What is a Placental Abruption in Chicago?
What is a placental abruption, and what causes it? First, it is important to understand what the placenta is during a pregnancy. According to the Mayo Clinic, the placenta is “an organ that develops in your uterus during pregnancy” that ultimately “provides oxygen and nutrients to your growing baby and removes waste products from your baby’s blood.”
Then, as the Mayo Clinic explains, placental abruption, which is also known as abruptio placentae, “is an uncommon yet serious complication of pregnancy” that “occurs when placenta partly or completely separates from the inner wall of the uterus before delivery.” When placental abruption occurs, the condition “can decrease or block the baby’s supply of oxygen and nutrients and cause heavy bleeding in the mother.” In many cases, a placental abruption will occur suddenly, but there are risk factors that a doctor should identify in advance. In addition, when a placental abruption does happen, a healthcare provider must appropriately treat the condition.
Signs of Placental Abruption
If you have any of the following signs during pregnancy, or if your healthcare provider notices any of the following symptoms, particularly during your last trimester, it is critical to get emergency treatment. The following are signs and symptoms of placental abruption, according to the Mayo Clinic:
- Vaginal bleeding;
- Abdominal pain;
- Back pain;
- Uterine tenderness;
- Uterine rigidity; and
- Uterine contractions.
In some cases of placental abruption, there is no vaginal bleeding at all, while in other cases, vaginal bleeding can be heavy. In most cases, abdominal and back pain will begin suddenly. However, it is important to know that there is a type of placental abruption that occurs over time known as chronic abruption, and it is usually characterized by light and/or intermittent vaginal bleeding.
Placental Abruption Injuries and Complications
Many different types of complications and harm can result from a placental abruption, and it can affect a mother and a baby. Common complications for the baby include but are not limited to:
- Restricted growth;
- Lack of oxygen;
- Premature birth; and
- Stillbirth.
Common complications for the mother can include:
- Blood loss and shock;
- Problems with blood clotting;
- Kidney failure;
- Organ failure; and/or
- Emergency hysterectomy.
Contact a Placental Abruption Lawyer in Chicago
If you experienced a placental abruption and you or your baby suffered complications, it is important to seek advice from a birth injury lawyer about filing a claim for compensation. Contact Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC for more information about how we can assist you.
