During labor and delivery or when a woman experiences any pregnancy complications, her doctor and nurses will use an electronic fetal monitor (EFM) to measure the baby’s heart rate and the contractions of the mother’s uterus. The fetal monitor lets the medical team know whether the baby is experiencing problems including hypoxia, severe anemia, placenta abruptio (placenta breaking away from the uterine wall) or infection. Hypoxia (lack of oxygen) is often the result of an underlying problem. Fetal monitoring can indicate hypoxia to the doctor, who should take steps immediately to correct the problem and prevent asphyxia, which could otherwise lead to brain damage or death.

Electronic fetal monitoring is a diagnostic tool that every medical team should be trained to evaluate and react to in order correct any issues. Healthcare providers are trained to recognize signs of fetal distress, such as an abnormal heart rate, and to begin procedures to prevent birth injury, such as irreversible brain damage. Unfortunately, the medical team does not always correctly interpret fetal distress signals from electronic fetal monitor or does not react properly and quickly, causing injury to the unborn child. This negligent behavior is a form of medical malpractice. When a birth injury results from the negligent actions or inaction of the medical team, the infant and/or parents may file for compensation for financial, emotional and physical suffering.

FETAL MONITORING DATA STRIPS

If a baby is injured during birth, the electronic fetal monitoring data strips (FHR tracings) will provide details of the baby’s heart rate throughout labor and delivery. This is essentially a blueprint of everything the baby went through during labor and delivery. If a baby suffers a birth injury, fetal monitoring strips provide evidence of when and possibly how that injury occurred. This helps the attorney and other experts determine if the doctor or medical team’s behavior was negligent.

If your baby suffered a birth injury as a result of negligent electronic fetal monitoring, please contact our office and speak with a member of the firm. The applicable statute of limitations is likely already running, so timing can be critically important to your case. Contact us today for a free, no obligation, confidential legal consultation.

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