No two pregnancies are the same. A woman’s health may vary greatly from one pregnancy to the next. In certain cases, an OB-GYN might classify a specific pregnancy as “high risk,” in which case both mother and child should be closely monitored to help them stay safe.
A high-risk pregnancy is one where a mother or infant has an increased chance of developing complications for one reason or another. Issues that make a pregnancy high risk include preexisting maternal diabetes or gestational diabetes, maternal high blood pressure, maternal age under 17, as well as cancer and numerous other factors. The typical OB-GYN knows how to recognize high risk symptoms and can take steps during pregnancy, labor or delivery to help a mother and baby avoid severe injuries.
A doctor should keep a mother informed
If a particular pregnancy is high risk, the attending OB-GYN should make sure that the mother understands the situation. He or she should also keep the mother informed throughout monitoring of her health and her baby’s health. If a particular issue becomes an urgent situation, the doctor may recommend a cesarean section.
Failure to diagnose and other medical problems
A mother depends on her medical team to help her and baby stay safe during pregnancy, labor and childbirth. An OB-GYN who fails to diagnose a high-risk condition or doesn’t take appropriate action to resolve a problem that arises could be placing a mother and infant in harm’s way. In Oregon and throughout the United States, many pregnancy-related injuries have led to litigation in civil court when parents have sought restitution against health care professionals whose negligence is believed to have caused an injury to occur.