Preeclampsia that isn’t properly diagnosed can cause problems

A pregnant woman has a lot to think about. Throughout her pregnancy, she is trusting that the medical professionals covering her care will take care of any possible issues so that she and her baby can make it to the end of the pregnancy without harm. For some women, this doesn’t occur. It is possible that a woman can suffer from preeclampsia and not be diagnosed by her medical care team.

Preeclampsia is a condition that revolves around high blood pressure. A diagnosis of preeclampsia can be made if a woman has two blood pressure readings of 140/90 that are taken at least four hours apart. If this is noted, the medical care team should monitor her closely and create a treatment plan to help keep her blood pressure down.

Doctors should also monitor women who have risk factors for preeclampsia. Women who are in a first pregnancy, are between 20 and 40 years old, are obese, have a multiples pregnancy or have a family history of preeclampsia are all at an increased risk. Women who have certain medical conditions, including lupus, are also at an increased risk.

When a woman isn’t properly diagnosed with preeclampsia, she might opt to seek compensation for medical negligence. This is often the case if the mother or baby suffered because of the failure to diagnose. The compensation might seek funds to help pay for the child’s medical care or to cover the expenses related to the birth injury, such as covering the mother’s missed wages if she has to stay home to care for the baby.

Source: FindLaw, “Failure to Diagnose Preeclampsia,” accessed April 07, 2017