For a parent, one of life’s most difficult tragedies is the loss of a child. It is a devastating event no matter the age of the child, including losing a baby in the womb. Stillbirth is the loss of a baby in utero at 20 weeks or later. It is a painful process for an Oregon family, and there are times when this event is the result of certain factors that may be prevented with appropriate medical care.
If your family is striving to pick up the pieces and move forward after this type of devastating event, you could have options available to you. You may benefit from exploring the possibility of legal action against your medical care provider or another party. If the loss of your child is the result of negligent care or other type of malpractice, you could be entitled to compensation.
What causes it?
In some cases, there is no medical reason for a stillbirth. However, some conditions and complications may make it more likely this could occur. Some factors that may increase the risk of grave pregnancy complications include:
- Mother’s clotting disorder
- Preeclampsia
- Lupus
- Problems with the placenta
- Infection
- Birth defects
Doctors are responsible for providing the best possible care for a pregnant patient. This includes performing the diagnostic tests necessary to identify potential problems. In patients with health concerns or elevated risk of problems, doctors should be seeing those individuals frequently in order to monitor their condition.
Finding out what went wrong
After a stillbirth, it is likely you will undergo diagnostic tests to see if it’s possible to determine what happened. This is an important step if you believe it is possible you could have grounds for a civil claim at some point in the future. Medical documentation is a crucial component of any medical malpractice claim. Even in your grief and pain, it is necessary to have these tests done as soon as possible.
Navigating the aftermath
Losing a child after 20 weeks of pregnancy could be the result of negligent medical care or other preventable factors. If you believe you could be the victim of a medical malpractice incident, you may benefit from learning more about your rights. This knowledge and the results of any testing you had done could reveal why you lost your child in this tragic way and which parties may be legally responsible.