Maternal Hypertension

When high blood pressure is not properly managed through pregnancy, it may lead to a variety of problems for both the mother and the child. If you have been injured or your loved one has died due to careless management of maternal hypertension, we can help. At Arfaa Law Group, experienced Baltimore birth injury attorney Julia Arfaa will take the time to explore the facts of your case and determine whether malpractice may have occurred. If we decide to bring a claim on your behalf, you can rest assured that we will make every effort to get you the compensation that you deserve for your harm.

Hypertension is the most common medical issue encountered during pregnancy. It is defined as having a blood pressure greater than 140/90 mm Hg. Maternal hypertension may refer to chronic hypertension, gestational hypertension, or preeclampsia. When hypertension is diagnosed prior to pregnancy, it is sometimes known as chronic hypertension. If you develop high blood pressure after the 20th week of pregnancy, but you do not have protein in the urine or other signs of preeclampsia, you will likely be diagnosed with gestational hypertension. This condition is also sometimes known as pregnancy-induced hypertension. Both chronic hypertension and gestational hypertension may lead to preeclampsia. Preeclampsia involves high blood pressure and protein in the urine, typically after the 20th week of pregnancy.

Once hypertension is diagnosed, a medical professional should keep an eye on blood pressure throughout the pregnancy. Hypertension may prevent the placenta from getting enough blood. If the fetus does not receive enough blood, the baby will have less oxygen and nutrients, which may result in slow growth, low birth weight, or a preterm birth. Other risks associated with high blood pressure during pregnancy include placental abruption, premature delivery, and future cardiovascular disease.

A failure by a physician to see the signs of maternal hypertension or preeclampsia may pose serious health risks to the mother and the child. If a physician negligently handles hypertension, causing an injury or death to either the mother or the child, that physician may be sued for medical malpractice. This claim arises when a medical professional causes direct harm to a patient because they failed to use the same standard of care as a reasonably prudent medical professional in the same specialty under the same or similar circumstances. Expert testimony is typically needed to establish what the appropriate standard of care would be in a specific situation, as well as to explain what the defendant did that deviated from that standard.

Once malpractice is established, a plaintiff may pursue a range of damages. Depending on the nature and severity of the harm suffered, the plaintiff may be able to recover for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses stemming from the medical negligence.

If you or your child has suffered any kind of harm due to the effects of mismanaged maternal hypertension, you may have grounds to seek compensation through a medical malpractice claim. At Arfaa Law Group, medical malpractice lawyer Julia Arfaa has extensive experience in virtually all types of birth injury cases and knows how to handle a claim. As a Baltimore attorney, she represents people throughout the state of Maryland. For more information or to set up a free consultation, call 410-889-1850 or contact us online.