During delivery of a baby, healthcare providers monitor the fetus’ heartbeat to ensure the health and safety of the unborn child. This is standard practice during delivery, and is an essential duty of care that is provided by physicians and hospitals. Failure to properly monitor the baby’s heartbeat can result in serious injury or a stillborn child, and is grounds for a fetal heartbeat malpractice claim. If your child was harmed due to a suspected fetal heartbeat monitoring error, the Tampa fetal heartbeat malpractice lawyer at Freidin Brown, P.A. can help you secure compensation for your economic and non economic damages, including pain and suffering, emotional distress, and more. This compensation will ensure that you are not stuck with large medical expenses with no way to pay, and can help serve as justice for your baby’s injuries or tragic death.
The Most Common Fetal Heartbeat Monitoring Errors
It is vital that healthcare providers properly use heartbeat monitoring devices to ensure that a fetus has an ample supply of oxygen. If the fetus’ oxygen supply is cut off for any reason, the medical team needs to take immediate action. Both internal and external monitors can be used for this purpose. If the mother is two to three centimeters dilated, the fetus’ heartbeat can be measured internally via the baby’s scalp. If the mother is not yet dilated, an external monitor around the mother’s abdomen is used. Examples of fetal heartbeat monitoring negligence that can lead to injury include:
- Ceasing heartbeat monitoring too soon
- Using a fetal heartbeat monitoring device incorrectly
- Failure to monitor uterine contractions
- Mistaking the mother’s heartbeat for the fetal heartbeat
- Failure to identify an abnormal fetal heartbeat
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What Injuries Can be Caused by Fetal Heartbeat Negligence?
Even a relatively short period of time without oxygen can starve the brain and cause serious injury to a fetus. As such, severe injuries can stem from improper fetal heartbeat monitoring and the lack of medical intervention that should have taken place had healthcare providers been aware of the fetal distress. These injuries may include:
- Cerebral palsy
- Paralysis
- Brain damage
- Nerve damage
- Delays in development
- Death
Damages in a Tampa Fetal Heart Monitoring Malpractice Claim
Damages in a fetal heart monitoring malpractice claim can be extensive due to the lifelong disability that the medical error may have caused. These damages may include hospital bills, lifelong medical care, pain and suffering, lost income due to a parent needing to quit their job, and much more.
Call a Tampa Fetal Heartbeat Monitoring Lawyer Today
If you suspect that your baby’s birth injuries are a result of improper fetal heartbeat monitoring, we encourage you to talk to a Tampa fetal heartbeat malpractice lawyer to investigate the case. Many of the birth injuries caused during negligent deliveries can incur large lifetime care expenses, putting the child and their parents at financial risk. To get started today, call the Tampa fetal heartbeat monitoring lawyers at Freidin Brown, P.A. to schedule a free consultation.