Ohio’s Department of Insurance releases a report annually which details the “closed claims” paid out by insurance companies on behalf of their medical professional liability customers – in other words, the payments made by insurance companies for doctors accused of medical malpractice. The report offers an interesting look at medical
One of the strongest indicators for a premature birth is having already had a spontaneous pre-term birth in the past. A new study appearing in the April edition of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology investigates the effectiveness of pre-term birth prevention programs for women who had already delivered
In many scenarios Cesarean section deliveries are life saving procedures for the infant and sometimes for the mother. But a recent report highlights a growing risk associated with subsequent pregnancies for mothers who have had a prior C-section delivery. The condition known as placenta accrete occurs when the placenta attaches
It is important for many reasons that pregnant women and their doctors keep careful tabs on their health during pregnancy. A potentially fatal condition known as preeclampsia can occur when the woman’s blood pressure rapidly rises. Swelling and a rapid rise in blood pressure are early warning signs of this
For years doctors have prescribed a type of progesterone to pregnant women who were considered to be at high risk for premature delivery. Generally the cost of that medication was about $10 per dose and was made by specialty pharmacies. Now the Food and Drug Administration has approved a branded
A new study indicates that women who are given control of the amount of medication administered by an epidural use less than women who are administered a continuous amount. This revelation is important as the higher levels of the medications provided by an epidural are associated with an increased instance
X-rays and other advanced radiological techniques can provide doctors with vital information to treat their patients. But, as you likely know, x-rays utilize radiation that can increase cancer risks. This can be an serious risk for infants that are born prematurely and often require multiple radiological examinations. While proper shielding
A new study to be published in the Journal of Pediatrics concludes that a decrease in the percentage of infants diagnosed with cerebral palsy indicates that the level of care that infants receive after, during and prior to birth has improved over the last 15 years. As you may know, cerebral palsy
Last week in this space we talked about the serious risk posed to newborn infants, particularly those babies that are born prematurely, of excessive exposure to radiation from unnecessary and improperly administered x-rays and CT scans. Unfortunately this is not a unique problem that occurred at one single hospital, patients
Many medical malpractice cases come down to whether or not the doctor or hospital deviated from the standard of care required for a particular procedure. Expert witnesses can play a particularly important role in cases where a mother or newborn is injured or killed during the birth. In many high