Future Risks of Heart-Related Maternal Birth Injuries
Elective inductions. Scheduled Cesareans. Unknowing mothers.
Preterm birth, also referred to as premature birth, is live birth before 37 completed weeks of gestation, as defined by the World Health Organization and other noted authorities.1,2 Birth that occurs even one week earlier can create serious potential complications for both mother and baby.3,4 Yet over 90% of women are unaware of this fact.4 And the numbers are staggering: up to 18% of births globally are preterm.5
When premature birth occurs, a baby’s brain, lungs, and other vital organs are not fully developed. Future risks of cardiovascular-related and brain-related infant birth injuries due to premature birth have been established.6 Future risks of heart-related maternal birth injuries due to premature birth have now also been recognized and documented.7
The potential risks of maternal heart-related birth injuries due to premature birth include myocardial infarction (heart attack) and death, and maternal brain-related birth injuries include stroke.8 Any of these scenarios can leave a mother unable to provide care for her newborn child.
Obstetricians and other medical professionals may be liable in such cases, and there may be dual liability in which more than one medical professional or entity is liable.
In addition to the physical and emotional devastation of a maternal heart-related birth injury are compensation issues. When settlements in such medical malpractice birth injuries are being considered, the potential for future heart-related events must be taken into account. Costs for an array of needs, including emergency medical care, medical equipment, surgeries, specialists, home care, and other vital necessities, can be extensive and can create further devastation for victims and families of maternal heart-related medical malpractice birth injuries.
Selecting an expert birth-injury lawyer or legal team for such cases is an essential step, not only to help ensure justice, but also to secure fair, inclusive compensation for all likely future health needs. Richard “Bo” Sharp, Esq. and Mallard & Sharp, P.A.’s goal is to obtain justice for individuals and families who are victims of birth injury medical malpractice negligence, especially in instances in which such malpractice occurs during labor and delivery. This includes cases involving long-term birth injuries and heart-related maternal medical malpractice birth injuries.
Mallard & Sharp, P.A. is dedicated to providing each and every client with the path to justice and financial recovery. The firm is well known for handling critical cases that involve birth injuries, medical malpractice negligence, and negligent security, as well as any other acts of negligence that cause catastrophic injuries or wrongful death to individuals.
For more information or to inquire about obtaining expert legal representation for a potential birth injury medical malpractice negligence case, including one involving a heart-related maternal medical malpractice birth injury, contact Mallard & Sharp, P.A. at 305-461-4800.
1 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/preterm-birth
2 https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pretermbirth.htm
3 https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(22)00228-9/fulltext
4 https://www.vbac.com/2010/11/elective-inductions-cesareans-and-preterm-birth/#.Y8_jcXbMK5c
5 https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-015-0571-7
6 https://www.thelancet.com/series/preterm-birth
7 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28153993/
8 https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/issue/vol356no9239/PIIS0140-6736(00)X0210-3