Failure to Diagnose or Treat Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes is a remarkably common condition, affecting up to 10 percent of pregnancies, according to studies. Although the condition exhibits few symptoms, it is common enough that screening should be conducted, especially among women with certain characteristics and medical histories.
Once diagnosed, gestational diabetes is relatively easy to control; in most cases, the subsequent birth goes smoothly, and both mother and baby emerge with their health intact. However, when left undiagnosed and untreated, gestational diabetes can have adverse effects on both the mother and the baby, in the short term and the long term.
If you or your baby suffered an injury due to the failure of your obstetrician to diagnose gestational diabetes, our medical malpractice attorneys in Utah can help. Our experienced attorneys can evaluate your case, consult with medical experts to establish negligence on the part of your obstetrician, and fight for the full measure of compensation to which you and your family are entitled.
For further information about Salt Lake City failure to diagnose gestational diabetes cases, please contact Younker Hyde Macfarlane, PLLC, today.
Women Who Are at High Risk for Gestational Diabetes
Roughly half of the women that are diagnosed with gestational diabetes have none of the risk factors that would put them at high risk for developing the condition. This is why it is important for every pregnant woman to be screened for gestational diabetes; if such screening is not offered, it should be requested by the patient.
However, testing is particularly important among women who:
- Have a family history of type 2 diabetes
- Are overweight
- Have polycystic ovary syndrome (POS)
- Were previously diagnosed with gestational diabetes
- Are African-American, Hispanic, Native American, or South Asian
- Are over 35 years old
- Are smokers (even if they ceased to smoke upon learning that they were pregnant)
Again, one does not have to have any of these risk factors to develop gestational diabetes; diabetic screening is important for all pregnant women.
Consequences of Undiagnosed and Untreated Gestational Diabetes
The failure to diagnose gestational diabetes can be detrimental to both mother and baby. Uncontrolled blood glucose levels put the baby at heightened risk of:
- Being abnormally large or abnormally small at birth
- Jaundice
- Low blood glucose levels
- Magnesium and calcium deficiencies
- Incomplete lung maturation
- Childhood obesity
- Developing type 2 diabetes later in life
- Stillbirth
The failure to diagnose gestational diabetes can result in the mother being at increased risk of:
- Developing type 2 diabetes later in life
- Dangerously high blood pressure during pregnancy
- Having to undergo a C-section during the delivery of the baby
When a baby’s size is abnormally large or small for its gestational age, there is also a higher risk of delivery complications, including shoulder dystocia and brain injuries due to improper use of forceps or vacuum extraction devices. In all cases, our medical malpractice attorneys research cases to ensure that all instances of negligence are identified, and the full measure of damages due is properly assessed.
For further information about failure to diagnose gestational diabetes claims, please email or call Younker Hyde Macfarlane, PLLC, today.
