Medical malpractice news reports a recent $1.7 million settlement in a prenatal negligence case.
Prenatal negligence is a type of medical malpractice that occurs when a doctor fails provide adequate prenatal care. This may include the failure to conduct proper diagnostic tests, such as tests on the mother to determine risk factors for potential conditions that may affect her heath or tests that may affect the health of the unborn child. It may also include the failure to take actions or make recommendations that may improve the health of mother or child. While in some cases health conditions of the infant can be treated in utero, other times diagnostic tests may reveal genetic disorders or other permanent birth defects.
In the recent settlement, a doctor and mid-wife failed to inform the mother that her fetus had a genetic marker associated with Down syndrome. The medical malpractice claim asserted that had she been informed that the marker existed, she would have undergone amniocentesis, which would have diagnosed the condition, and the mother would have had the option to terminate the pregnancy. However, the mother was deprived of the opportunity to make an informed decision concerning the fetus. Instead, she was erroneously told that the diagnostic test given for chromosomal abnormalities was normal.
The prenatal negligence suit asserted that the doctor/nurse mid-wife breached their standard of care in advising the mother that the tests were normal. As such, she did not undergo further genetic testing, and gave birth to a child suffering from the birth defect. The mother recovered monetary and emotional damages.
For more information about prenatal negligence or if you believe you or a loved one suffered harm due to any type of medical malpractice, please contact the dedicated Los Angeles medical malpractice lawyers at Bostwick & Peterson, LLP for an immediate consultation.
