Legal Assistance for Misdiagnosis or Failure to Diagnose Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a relatively common issue during pregnancy, affecting thousands of women every year. It describes, in essence, high glucose levels and extra insulin during pregnancy. If diagnosed in time, physicians can treat gestational diabetes with a likely chance of preventing harm to the mother and baby. Failure to diagnose this issue, on the other hand, can cause it to escalate and cause several serious health issues. Undiagnosed gestational diabetes can result in the following harms and birth complications:

• High blood sugar levels in infant
• Extra insulin in the infant’s pancreas
• Fetal macrosomia (“fat baby” syndrome)
• Brachial plexus or shoulder dystocia injury from excessive fetal size
• Increased risk of obesity later in life
• Increased risk of labor and delivery problems
• Early delivery risks, including respiratory distress in premature infants
• Increased risk of preeclampsia
• Development of type 2 diabetes in mother
• Increased risk of gestational diabetes in subsequent pregnancies

When symptoms of gestational diabetes present in an expecting mother, it is an obstetrician or gynecologist’s (OBGYN’s) duty to detect them, order appropriate tests, and diagnose the condition in a timely manner. That way, the mother can begin treatment. Changing diet, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight can all potentially treat gestational diabetes before it adversely affects the mother and infant. Failure to fulfill an OBGYN’s duties to diagnose gestational diabetes on time to prevent harm, resulting in injuries to mother or child, is medical malpractice.