Nurse's Failure To Recognize Symptoms Of Placental Abruption Results In Baby's Brain Damage

Various issues that can happen in a pregnancy pose appreciable danger of injury to the unborn baby. A placental abruption happens if the placenta separates prematurely from the expectant mother's uterus. Common symptoms are consistent abdominal or back pain, vaginal bleeding, and continuous contractions. Any delay in detecting a placental abruption and performing a C-section can lead to significant injury to, or even the death of, the unborn baby.

For example, consider what happened in a documented lawsuit involving a young pregnant woman. She was a nineteen year old expecting the birth of her first baby and was admitted to the hospital presenting with continuous abdominal pain. She was examined by an obstetrics nurse who documented that the woman had a hard abdomen and exhibited constant uterine contractions.

A short while later the young pregnant woman started having heavy vaginal bleeding that. needed continuous changing of towels to soak up the blood. Instead of alerting a hospital obstetrician the obstetrics nurse actually instructed the mother get more towels from the linen closet in the room and keep changing them herself.

After about four to five hours following her admission to the hospital, the young pregnant woman began having extreme pain. Now there were two symptoms that are highly suggestive of a placental abruption. The nurse responded by administering pain medication. Within five minutes of this, the fetal heart rate monitor showed that the baby's heart rate had gone flat.The nurse merely saw this development not as a ominous sign that the baby was in a highly dangerous condition but as a reaction to the pain medication given to the young pregnant woman. The nurse still did not contact a doctor until fifty minutes after the fetal monitor went flat.

Once a physician finally arrived, meconium was found and progressive deep decelerations of the baby's heart rate were noted. The attending obstetrician then arrived and performed an emergency C-section with only local anesthesia as the situation was too urgent to wait for the anesthesiologist to arrive. Given the extraordinary need for speed at this point and given that an anesthesiologist was not available the attending performed the emergency C-section using only local anesthesia.

As the doctor was delivering the baby via C-section the physician found that there had been a placental abruption that had cut off the supply of oxygen to the unborn baby. The physician observed signs of ensuing neurological damage to the baby later established by radiographic testing. In time, it was discovered that the child was developmentally and mentally retarded.

The child's mother and father initiated a medical malpractice lawsuit on behalf of her child and herself claiming that as a result of the the fact that the nurse did not recognize the clear signs of placental abruption and not telling a physician that the baby's fetal heart monitor had gone flat for 50 minutes, an otherwise healthy baby endured a brain injury. He has a life expectancy into the 40's. But, in an attempt to reduce the value of the case, the defense argued he would only have about 10 years.

Throughout the remainder of his life he will need occupational, speech and physical therapy and will always need custodial care. The law firm that represented the family announced that they were able to reach a settlement in the amount of $1,100,000. Of that amount, $60,000 was for the parents. The remainder, a portion paid as a cash payment and the rest as a structured settlement, was for the child.