Chicago Preeclampsia Birth Injury Attorney
When an ob-gyn or another healthcare provider makes an error while providing prenatal care to a mother during pregnancy, or makes a mistake during labor and delivery, serious harm can result, including preeclampsia. Depending upon the nature of the negligence and the possible causes of the preeclampsia or eclampsia, the mother could sustain a serious or life-threatening injury, or the baby could suffer significant harm through a birth injury. Indeed, certain pregnancy complications like preeclampsia can put the health of both the mother and baby at risk. If your preeclampsia was mismanaged by your healthcare provider and either you or your baby suffered injuries, you should get help from a Chicago preeclampsia birth injury attorney.
What is Chicago Preeclampsia?
If you have any risk factors for preeclampsia, or any signs or symptoms, it is essential to seek advice from your healthcare provider. In any circumstances where preeclampsia may be a risk, healthcare providers have a duty to identify the condition and to take timely action to prevent injuries to the mother and the baby. Yet in order to know whether a doctor failed to properly identify signs or symptoms of preeclampsia or to adequately take into account maternal risk factors, it is critical to understand what preeclampsia is and how it is diagnosed.
According to the Mayo Clinic, “preeclampsia is a pregnancy condition characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to another organ system, most often the liver and kidneys.” In some cases, preeclampsia will start after more than 20 week of pregnancy, and it often occurs in pregnant women who have had normal blood pressure readings up to that point. When preeclampsia is not properly treated, the Mayo Clinic emphasizes that this condition “can lead to serious—even fatal—complications for both you and your baby.” When preeclampsia is diagnosed, the most effective way to handle it is for the mother to have the baby, but childbirth may not be possible depending upon how far along the pregnancy is at the time of diagnosis.
Common Symptoms of Preeclampsia in Chicago
If a pregnant person presents with any of the following symptoms, it is critical for a healthcare provider to consider the possibility of preeclampsia and to take appropriate steps. Given that preeclampsia may not have any symptoms, regular prenatal visits should also include monitoring for any potential signs of preeclampsia or other serious conditions. The Mayo Clinic identifies the following as some of the most common signs and symptoms of preeclampsia:
- Rise in blood pressure to over 140/90;
- Protein in the pregnant mother’s urine;
- Decreased urination;
- Mother experiencing severe headaches;
- Vision changes, such as blurred vision, light sensitivity, or a temporary loss of vision;
- Pain in the abdomen that usually occurs on the right side;
- Nausea;
- Vomiting;
- Thrombocytopenia, or a decrease in blood platelets;
- Liver function problems;
- Shortness of breath; and/or
- Edema in the face and hands.
Contact Our Chicago Preeclampsia Birth Injury Attorneys
If your preeclampsia was not properly diagnosed or treated, one of our Chicago preeclampsia birth injury lawyers can speak with you about your options for filing a lawsuit. Contact Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC today for more information.
