The majority of serious pregnancy complications are preventable with appropriate testing and medical monitoring. Doctors can identify the early warning signs of gestational diabetes or preeclampsia. Their interventions can help keep the mother as healthy as possible and limit the risk of the child developing birth injuries in utero.
Unfortunately, some major pregnancy complications occur because doctors overlook important details in the early stages of pregnancy. In cases involving a mother who is negative for the Rhesus factor, also known as having an Rh negative blood type, Rhesus or Rh incompatibility could cause major pregnancy complications if it is not properly addressed.
Prior pregnancy is a top risk factor for Rh issues
The genetics of both parents influence a child’s development, including their blood type. Mothers who are Rh negative sometimes give birth to children with Rh positive blood types. They share blood with the baby while it is in utero, which can lead to serious medical complications for the mother or her developing baby.
Particularly in cases where a woman has already carried a pregnancy that involved Rh incompatibility to term, she may be at risk of early-onset complications if she conceives another child that is Rh positive. Physicians should check a patient’s records and perform necessary tests to validate the risk of Rh incompatibility as early in pregnancy as possible. The failure to recognize this known risk factor is a form of medical negligence that can cause devastating pregnancy consequences.
Connecting pregnancy complications to failures by professionals can help women demand accountability after malpractice affects their health or the development of their unborn children. Doctors who overlook known risk factors may be responsible if things go poorly during pregnancy due to their oversights.