What are the most common forms of medical malpractice in diagnosing or treating fetal distress?

The probability that a baby will suffer from an injury such as permanent brain damage increases the longer the unborn baby experiences fetal distress during pregnancy and labor. Any undue delay in diagnosing or treating fetal distress can have tragic consequences. Unfortunately, too often proper monitoring is not offered or performed, warning signs are ignored, and treatment is delayed. The following are among the more common forms of negligence or medical malpractice by physicians in diagnosing and/or treating fetal distress:

• Failing to perform appropriate monitoring of the fetus;
  
• Misinterpreting the results of monitoring tests;
  
• Failing to identify signs of fetal distress;
  
• Failing to recommend appropriate treatment options for the complications causing fetal distress;
  
• Failing to order or perform a cesarean in the presence of indicators that the fetus is in distress and that a cesarean is required;
  
• Failing to follow-up with the patient.

The above are only examples and are by no means intended to be an exhaustive list of acts of malpractice.

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