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Failure To Diagnose Gestational Diabetes Is Common New York Medical Malpratice

“The failure to diagnose gestational diabetes during pregnancy is a big problem,” said Syracuse birth injury lawyer Michael A. Bottar, Esq., of Bottar Law, PLLC, a legal team representing the catastrophically injured throughout the State of New York.

4-12% of pregnancies are complicated by gestational diabetes. A recent study of 900,000 American women published in Obstetrics and Gynecology reports that as many as 1 in 3 pregnant women are not receiving a simple laboratory test to check for diabetes mellitus, also known as gestational diabetes. The failure to test for and the failure to diagnose gestational diabetes is obstetrical malpractice that places a pregnant mother and her baby at risk for complications, including preeclampsia, premature birth, macrosomic babies and neonatal hypoglycemia. Where timely diagnosed, gestational diabetes can be treated by controlling glucose by diet, as well as exercise and insulin.

The study titled Gaps In Diabetes Screening During Pregnancy and Postpartum also revealed that as many as 1 in 5 pregnant women who developed gestational diabetes while pregnant were screened for diabetes within 6 months after pregnancy. This means that many pregnant mothers developed diabetes that had gone undiagnosed and untreated for a significant period of time after birth. This is well below the standard of care, as current medical guidelines require that women with gestational diabetes be tested for diabetes 6 to 12 weeks after delivery.

The study also revealed that obese women, who have the highest risk for developing gestational diabetes, were the least likely to be tested. Women weighing more than 275 pounds were 12% less likely to receive testing, but were 348% more likely to have gestational diabetes. Women weighing more than 300 pounds were 6% less likely to receive testing, but were 300% more likely to have gestational diabetes.

To discuss your case or concerns with an accomplished New York medical malpractice and birth injury attorney, contact Bottar Law, PLLC at (315) 422-3466, (800) 336-LAWS, or by e-mail at info@bottarleone.com.

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