Overlooked Indications Of Fetal Distress Lead To Infant's Cerebral Palsy
The fetal heart rate monitor provides physicians and nurses with important data relating to the well-being of the unborn baby while the mother is in labor. The information from the monitor is used to track whether the baby is well or is in a compromised situation. If such signs arise steps should be taken immediately to counteract the situation or to deliver the child. Waiting can lead to significant and permanent injury to the infant. By not acting right away physicians and nurses may be acting in a manner that does not meet the standard of care. If this does result in injury to the child, these physicians and nurses may be liable for medical malpractice.
Consider a published case involving what had been a normal pregnancy, the pregnant woman was thirteen days past her due date. She was hospitalized for the planned delivery of her baby. Following her admission to the hospital, one of the physicians ruptured her membranes in an effort to enhance her labor. An entry in her chart recorded that there was