Gestational Diabetes

Pregnant women who develop high blood glucose levels during pregnancy have a condition known as “gestational diabetes.” According to the latest data from the American Diabetes Association, gestational diabetes affects 18% of pregnancies. Mothers with gestational diabetes have a higher risk of giving birth to a baby with a birth injury.

In the early stages of pregnancy, maternal diabetes can cause birth defects to major organs such as the heart or brain and increases the risk of miscarriage.

The Ohio birth injury attorneys at Clark, Perdue & List have over 35 years of experience in handling medical negligence claims. We are understand proper medical procedures and understand how devastating birth injuries can be.

In the second and third trimester of pregnancy, gestational diabetes can cause macrosomia – or “fat baby.” There is a higher incidence of caesarean deliveries when the infant is large for gestational age. A large baby is at much greater risk during labor and delivery for development of hypoxia, brachial plexus injury, cerebral palsy and Erb’s Palsy. If a large baby is delivered vaginally, rather than by caesarean section, the infant is at high risk of injury to the shoulder – known as shoulder dystocia.

Gestational diabetes may also result in respiratory distress syndrome due to incomplete lung maturation or even result in an infant who is stillborn.

Most mothers with gestational diabetes are able to deliver healthy babies, but early diagnosis and proper medical management is necessary. All expectant mothers should receive a glucose-screening test between 24 to 28 weeks of her pregnancy. If the woman has risk factors for diabetes, screening should occur even earlier and be repeated. If a doctor does not diagnose gestational diabetes or fails to properly treat the expectant mother and the baby suffers a traumatic birth injury as a result, the doctor may be liable for the injury.