According to a report by the Institute of Medicine, medical errors are responsible for at least 60,000 deaths each year in the United States and possibly as many as 78,000 each year. The statistic are correspondingly similar in Canada. 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 a few examples and are by no means intended to be an exhaustive list of acts of malpractice. If you suspect that your doctor, nurse, or other health care provider failed to detect and/or properly treat your child's fetal distress, you should contact a competent lawyer immediately.