$1.1 Million Settlement For Baby's Severe Disability After Nurse Missed Placental Abruption Signs

Certain complications that can happen during a pregnancy pose a significant risk of harm to the unborn baby

. A placental abruption is a complication in which the placenta that holds the baby separates from the mother's uterus. It is often accompanied by certain symptoms - the most telling of which are persistent or heavy vaginal bleeding, severe abdominal or back pain, and continuous contractions. Not recognizing that an expectant mother has suffered a placental abruption and not performing an emergency C-section could lead to the serious injury or even the death of the unborn child.

When an expectant mother arrived at the hospital in early stage of labor she told the staff that she had persistent pain in her abdomen. The woman, who was only 19 years old and was in the early stages of labor, was admitted to the hospital complaining of persistent abdominal pain. Following an examination, the obstetrical nurse noted that the mother had constant uterine contractions and a hard abdomen.

A short time later, the mother started having vaginal bleeding, which was so heavy that it required constant changing of towels underneath her so she would not soil the bedclothes. The primary concern of the nurse seemed to be preventing the bleeding onto the bedclothes rather than telling a doctor of the development. The nurse did not notify a doctor of the woman's abdominal pain, hard abdomen, and vaginal bleeding. Instead, the nurse showed the woman where the linen closet was located and |instructed her that she needed to get towels from the closet and use the towels to soak up the blood on her own.

Around four to five hours following her admission to the hospital, the young pregnant woman started having extreme pain. Now there were two symptoms that are highly suggestive of a placental abruption. Yet, the nurse still did not notify a doctor. Instead the nurse administered pain medication. When the baby's fetal heart rate went flat a mere five minutes later, the nurse dismissed the situation as just a response to the mother being given the pain medication, and so did not attempt to wake the baby in order to rule out hypoxia and still did not contact a doctor until fifty minutes after the fetal monitor went flat. The nurse did not even attempt rule out a lack of oxygen to the baby as the reason.

Once a doctor was notified the doctor found the presence of meconium and noted that the baby's heart rate showed progressive deep decelerations. The attending obstetrician then also arrived and decided to perform an emergency C-section. The doctor saw that placental abruption had occurred. During the C-section procedure the doctor found that the young pregnant woman had experienced a placental abruption. The doctor observed signs of resulting neurological damage to the baby later confirmed by radiographic testing. The child was later diagnosed with developmental and mental retardation.

In the ensuing lawsuit, the plaintiffs took the position that the failure on the part of the obstetrics nurse to recognize that the sings were the result of a placental abruption, the failure to attempt to rule out hypoxia (a situation in which the unborn baby is deprived of necessary amounts of oxygen), and the delay in notifying a doctor of the complication, resulted in preventable severe injuries to the baby. In an attempt to lessen the amount of the settlement, the defense claimed that the child was only expected to live to be approximately 10 years old and would not benefit from the therapy so the cost of the therapy should not be covered as part of the settlement. The law firm representing the parents and the child, however, reported being able to successfully settle the case for $1,100,000, with $60,000 to the parents and the remainder to the child.

In cases such as these the recovery from the lawsuit can be used to ensure that children suffering from the aftermath of a birth injury will be able to obtain the necessary medical treatments and care for the remainder of their lives.

by: Joseph Hernandez

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