Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome

Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) is a dangerous pregnancy complication that can adversely affect newborns. If you suspect that a medical professional was negligent in diagnosing or treating your child’s TTTS, you may be entitled to compensation for their harm. At Arfaa Law Group, our diligent Baltimore birth injury attorneys are committed to helping clients resolve their medical malpractice claims in an efficient and effective manner.

TTTS is a potentially deadly problem that affects identical twins or other multiple pregnancies that involve the sharing of a placenta by the multiple fetuses. TTTS may develop when the shared placenta contains abnormalities in the blood vessels that connect the umbilical cords and blood circulation of the fetuses, and blood is transfused from one twin to the other. Both twins may have problems, depending on the severity of the transfusion. The donor twin may have too little blood and thus too few nutrients, whereas the recipient twin may have too much blood and receive too many nutrients. About 10 percent of identical twins and other identical multiple babies develop TTTS.

Medical malpractice may contribute to injuries sustained by a child as a result of the negligent handling or treatment of TTTS or a failure to timely diagnose TTTS. An OBGYN or other physician who is treating a pregnant woman is held to a high standard of care when it comes to the health and safety of both the mother and the fetus. When a woman is pregnant with more than one identical fetus, the woman’s treating physician should be vigilant in performing certain tests to determine if the pregnancy may be complicated by TTTS. The failure of an OBGYN to conduct these tests may form the basis of a medical malpractice claim if the tests could have prevented TTTS-related injuries.

In Maryland, medical malpractice law applies when a medical professional fails to use the level of care that a reasonably prudent medical professional would have used in the same or similar circumstances, thereby causing injuries or death to the patient. It is important to note that the burden to establish malpractice in any case is on the plaintiff, who must establish each of the following elements by a preponderance of the evidence:

• The defendant medical professional owed the patient a duty of care;
• The defendant medical professional breached the duty of care owed to the patient; and
• The defendant medical professional’s breach was a direct and proximate cause of the patient’s injury.

You should be aware that, in some cases, a hospital or other employer may also be liable for a medical professional’s negligence under the legal concept of vicarious liability. Liability also may be established when the hospital is found to have been negligent in adopting policies and procedures for the care and treatment of TTTS patients or in the screening, hiring, training, monitoring, or retaining of a negligent employee. Our attorneys can advise you on whether defendants such as a hospital may be held liable, in addition to the doctor who committed the malpractice.

Like any other type of claim, medical malpractice claims must be filed within a certain time frame, known as the statute of limitations. A failure to file within the deadline may mean losing your right to pursue compensation altogether. Birth injury claims are subject to an especially complex statute of limitations.

If your child was injured due to Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome, and you believe that medical negligence played a role, you need to speak to a seasoned Baltimore attorney who can help. At Arfaa Law Group, we believe that when conditions like TTTS result from a medical error or negligence during a pregnancy, families should be appropriately compensated. With extensive experience in Maryland medical malpractice law, we understand how to navigate these complex cases. Get more information about your case today by calling us at 410-889-1850 or reaching us via our website. We also can handle cases involving blood transfusion procedures in hospitals that go wrong because of malpractice by a medical professional.