Errors in Prenatal Testing
Prenatal testing is important for many pregnancies to identify possible health conditions in the mother or baby that could result in serious problems down the line. However, prenatal testing is not infallible, and many mothers get false results that put them and/or their pregnancy at risk.
Undetected Issues
Doctors have the responsibility during prenatal care to evaluate all pregnancy and delivery-related risks to the mother. Your doctor should recognize potential warning signs and know when to conduct tests for pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and other pregnancy-related health conditions that require treatment to prevent harm. There might also need to be tests for bilirubin in the blood and other signs of conditions that can lead to serious problems for the baby.
Some circumstances that lead to the need for prenatal testing include:
- Pregnant women over age 35
- Prior pregnancies with low or high birth weight
- High blood pressure of the mother
- History of heart disease or diabetes
- Maternal clinical obesity
- Prior pregnancies ending in stillbirth
- Family history of Down Syndrome or another type of genetic abnormality
- Prior birth defect diagnosis
If any indications for prenatal testing exist – including those listed above -- a doctor should order the proper testing. If the doctor fails to do so, conditions might go undiagnosed and untreated, resulting in preventable complications and birth injuries.
Common Testing Errors
Even if the right prenatal tests are ordered, there are still additional errors that might occur that can put a mother or infant at risk. Such errors can include:
- Mixing up test samples or results
- Inaccurate reading of test results
- Relying too heavily on tests with high false positive or false negative rates
- Failing to report the results to the right medical professionals or patients
Even with the right tests orders, these errors can result in improper medical care and treatment and preventable injuries.
Risk of Birth Injuries
When a pregnancy progresses without the right information regarding serious health conditions of the mother or birth defects of the child, both can be at risk of serious injuries. Many health problems or complications during pregnancy require bed rest, C-sections, and other precautions to protect the mother and child. When doctors make errors in prenatal testing, they might fail to take the necessary precautions to keep patients safe, and birth injuries can result. For example, if a doctor allows a vaginal birth when a C-section should have been ordered to prevent complications, it can put the infant in distress and cause lasting - if not fatal - injuries.
Speak with Our Committed Ohio Birth Injury Lawyers Today
Whether your doctor fails to test for a medical condition or other medical errors prevent you from knowing accurate results and receiving proper care, errors in prenatal testing can have devastating effects. Doctors might not prepare for complications they should have foreseen, and it can result in life-changing injuries to the baby, mother, or both, requiring costly treatment and even causing permanent disabilities.
The Eisen Law Firm handles all types of birth injury cases, so please call 216-687-0900 or contact us online if you believe you have a possible case.