Women cannot live in a bubble when they are carrying a child. Even though they may make some adjustments due to their growing bellies, most women here in Oregon and elsewhere continue to live their lives. This includes eating foods that could cause listeriosis, which could turn out to be dangerous pregnancy complications.
During the first trimester of pregnancy, nausea and vomiting are not an unusual occurrence. However, even during the morning sickness phase of pregnancy, vomiting can allude to a dangerous situation for mother and child, especially when accompanied by diarrhea and stomach cramps. A woman also suffering from a fever, headache and muscle aches should definitely seek medical attention right away.
Further complicating the matter is the fact that many pregnant women do not experience the gastrointestinal symptoms associated with listerioisis. Instead, they present with flu-like symptoms. It may be easy to dismiss these symptoms as the flu, but doctors should know that pregnant women are highly susceptible to this condition due to their compromised immune systems.
If doctors fail to diagnosis, misdiagnose or delay a diagnosis of listeriosis, it could put the life of the unborn child in jeopardy. This condition has been known to cause stillbirth, miscarriage, life-threatening infections at birth and premature birth. For this reason, the doctors attending to an ill pregnant woman ought to test for this condition since it is better to be safe rather than sorry.
However, if a woman loses her unborn child, gives birth prematurely or discovers her newborn is suffering from a life-threatening infection, it could be because a doctor failed to properly diagnose listeriosis. An Oregon woman who believes her doctor failed to identify this and other pregnancy complications may have grounds for a medical malpractice claim. In order to know for sure, it would be beneficial to discuss the situation with an experienced attorney.