The Serious Risks of Pregnancy Heart Conditions and Cardiac Complications
During pregnancy, a woman’s blood volume increases significantly. With around 30% to 50% more blood, her heart works harder to move that much volume through the body. Also, labor and delivery cause a woman’s blood pressure and heart rate to rise, increasing the chances of cardiac complications or worsening pre-existing heart problems. Such maternal stressors often lead to heart disease complications in about 4% of all U.S. pregnancies. In fact, they are the third leading cause of all pregnancy-related deaths.
The Spectrum of Heart Conditions Affecting Pregnant Mothers
Heart complications during pregnancy and birth include heart rhythm problems, congestive heart failure, congenital heart defects, and heart valve issues. A pregnant woman who experiences an abnormal heart rhythm has an arrhythmia. With that condition, her heart may beat erratically or too fast, even at rest. Heart rhythm problems may or may not need treatment, as they do not always cause harm.
Congestive heart failure is a persistent condition characterized by a weak heart that does not pump hard enough to circulate blood throughout the body. Women may find this condition gets worse during pregnancy and delivery. Another cardiac complication during pregnancy, a congenital heart defect, can affect the baby. The mother’s structural defects of the heart may be passed on to the baby, which may cause a premature birth. In addition, a mother’s malfunctioning heart valves or replacement heart valves increase the likelihood of a heart infection, known as endocarditis.
Potentially Life-Threatening Maternal Cardiovascular Conditions
Although most heart conditions are serious, some are more likely fatal to a mother or baby than others. In fact, a physician may recommend that a mother surgically repair heart problems before getting pregnant. For example, serious heart failure, peripartum cardiomyopathy (late-stage pregnancy heart muscle weakness), major heart valve narrowing, aortic valve defects, coarctation of the aorta (narrowing of the aorta), Eisenmenger’s syndrome (obstructed blood flow to the heart and lungs), Marfan syndrome (connective tissue disorder), and pulmonary hypertension are all life-threatening heart conditions. To protect a mother’s life, a doctor may need to terminate the pregnancy in the case of these grave heart problems.
Measures that Doctors Can Take to Prevent Cardiac Complications During Pregnancy, Labor, and Delivery
Other than terminating the pregnancy, an obstetrician can take many measures to prevent complications and prepare for labor and delivery for a pregnant woman who has been diagnosed with a heart condition. First and foremost, it is critical that doctors carefully monitor their patients with regular check-ups. They should also monitor the pregnant woman’s weight gain, advise them about how to avoid stress, advocate for rest, treat anemia, and recommend avoiding certain medications that the expectant mother may be using to treat heart conditions before pregnancy. One exception may be digoxin, which treats heart failure, as it may be necessary to support a malfunctioning heart.
Most importantly, an obstetrician treating a heart patient must consult with other experts, such as cardiologists, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, anesthesiologists, pharmacists, and neonatal care specialists, to ensure the mother and baby have the specialized care they need. During labor, a doctor may give the woman an epidural to reduce pain and strain on the heart, unless aortic stenosis exists, in which case another pain reliever may be deemed more appropriate. A woman with trouble pushing may need a doctor’s assistance to remove the baby from the birth canal via forceps or vacuum extraction. Consistent and careful post-delivery monitoring and timely response to issues that may arise is vital. Ultimately, the care plan must be customized to the specific woman, the particular heart condition, the status of the fetus, and all of the relevant factors affecting the pregnancy in order to protect the well-being and life of the mother and baby.
Types of Medical Errors that can Occur with Maternal Heart Issues
Failing to check up on a pregnant heart patient frequently and failing to consult with heart specialists other necessary experts can end fatally, which may meet the standard for medical malpractice. Other physician failures include not treating underlying conditions that can lead to heart problems or exacerbate them, such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. The wrong medication can be fatal, depending on the specific heart condition. Thus, the doctor must know the patient’s type of heart problem and prepare for labor and delivery by avoiding stress and strain to the greatest extent possible.
Preparation and readiness to make the right decisions in an emergency are crucial to the lives of the mother and baby. Conversely, making the wrong ones or failing to act can be fatal. Ensuring the newborn’s quick access to neonatal emergency care can improve the chances of survival. Failure to do so can lead to tragic outcomes. Finally, postpartum checkups are preventative measures to ensure the stability of the mother’s heart condition. Poor follow-up after discharge from the hospital may allow for severe complications, providing grounds for a medical malpractice or wrongful death claim depending on the outcome.
Serious Consequences of Substandard Care for Pregnant Woman with Heart Conditions
In a study printed in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, entitled “Preventing Complications in Pregnant Women With Cardiac Disease,” researchers concluded that high-risk pregnant women with heart issues are more likely to suffer severe cardiac complications, approximately half of which are preventable. In studying serious cardiac incidences in pregnant women with heart problems, researchers sought to discover whether such events were preventable and their impact on the fetuses or newborns.
Serious cardiac events include cardiac arrest, heart failure, arrhythmias, and “urgent cardiac interventions.” The researchers discovered that healthcare providers could have prevented serious complications or events by identifying the patient’s heart condition before pregnancy, recognizing the serious heart complication early enough in pregnancy or delivery, and choosing the right treatment.
What Compensation can be Recovered for Malpractice with Cardiac Complications During Pregnancy and Birth in NJ?
When doctors cause preventable injuries involving women with heart conditions during pregnancy, they can be held liable to those injured and required to provide compensable damages, such as medical expenses, lost wages, future lost income, and pain and suffering. If applicable, a judge may order punitive damages to deter grossly negligent medical professionals from harming patients. Punitive damages are capped at $350,000.00 or five-times the amount of compensatory damages in a given case. When healthcare practitioners’ negligence causes maternal or fetal fatalities, medical professionals can be sued by the deceased’s loved ones for funeral expenses, medical expenses, loss of income, and the financial and relational benefits provided by the deceased before their death. Additional damages include the deceased’s household services values and loss of consortium. Maternal death compensation for negligence may be available in a wrongful death lawsuit, while compensation for cardiac complications resulting in injuries for mothers or their babies who survive the birthing process can be pursued through medical malpractice and birth injury lawsuits.
Consult our New Jersey Lawyers to Discuss Your Rights after Pregnancy Cardiac Complications in New Jersey
If you suspect that you or someone suffered injuries or death due to medical negligence with a pregnancy heart condition, contact our seasoned team of New Jersey attorneys for knowledgeable guidance about your rights and options. Our medical malpractice, birth injury, and maternal death lawyers can thoroughly review your case to determine if you may be entitled to compensation. If so, we will formulate your claim with the most persuasive proof to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve. Having handled countless cases involving labor, delivery, and pregnancy errors that left our clients harmed, we are skilled at assembling physical evidence, documents, and expert testimony to evaluate and support your claim, meeting critical deadlines and making steady progress toward a final case resolution.
Relying on our experienced legal professionals to pursue your claim for maternal cardiac complications causing injuries or death can offer great relief to you and your family during this difficult time. To discuss your specific case, call (866)-708-8617 or contact us on our website for greater insight into your possible medical malpractice or wrongful death action.
