Birth & Paediatric claims on the Isle of Wight

When a baby or child falls ill, doctors and nurses are trusted to diagnose the child’s symptoms and then act upon them in a reasonable manner. This may be by way of treatment or by referring your child to a medical specialist.

If the care and treatment of your baby or child is not of a reasonable standard of competence then you may be able to claim compensation

The Glanvilles Damant team of experienced solicitors will advise you on whether you have a valid claim. Working on a ‘No win, no fee’ basis, we’ll give you all the help you need to bring a claim of clinical negligence.

Some specific areas of clinical negligence where we have helped patients win compensation include:

Pre-eclampsia

This is a fairly common but potentially life-threatening complication in pregnancy caused by a defect in the placenta. It is easily diagnosed through regular antenatal checks on the mother’s urine and blood pressure.

An Obstetrician must weigh up the risks of inducing birth and delivering a premature baby against the risk of continuing with the pregnancy. The patient must be correctly advised and the risks explained. If the condition is not diagnosed or responded to correctly, the result can be devastating.

Non-Diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes

This is a well-recognised complication of pregnancy.  It poses a serious threat to the health of the mother and baby and in some tragic cases, results in stillbirth.

The most common risk factors of Gestational Diabetes are maternal obesity and family history. It is easily diagnosed and treated by routine urine and blood tests.

Once diagnosed, it can be treated with medication to ensure the pregnancy progresses normally.

Injuries Occurring in Childbirth

Sometimes there are complications during childbirth. These complications are not always the result of clinical negligence. Those that are the result of negligence are avoidable and should not occur, especially when they can result in damage to either the mother or the baby.

Some of the most common childbirth complications are:

Perianal Injury

This is one of the most common of childbirth injuries. It is a tear to the perineum – the area between the vagina and the anus. These tears are unavoidable. Recognised and treated correctly they can usually be limited to causing only short-term problems. However, very severe tears can be caused by failures in care. Severe tears that go unrecognised or untreated can result in traumatic consequences including pain, loss of sensation and incontinence.

Retained Placenta

After a baby is delivered, the Obstetrician or midwife must ensure that the placenta is delivered as well. If the placenta or just a proportion of it is left inside the womb, the mother could develop an infection. Such an infection can cause serious complications leading to a hysterectomy.

Assisted Delivery Injuries

If the labour fails to progress and the baby becomes “stuck”, the midwife or Obstetrician may have to assist the delivery using Ventouse or forceps. Inappropriate applications or excessive force when using these devices may cause injury to the mother and/or baby.

If you or your baby has been injured during childbirth as a result of clinical negligence, please contact our team of experienced solicitors.

They will help you decide on whether your circumstances have the potential to bring a claim.  If the decision is made to pursue your case, we offer a ‘no win, no fee’ arrangement. In birth injury cases, legal aid is also a possible option.