When Care Falls Short: Key Warning Signs Parents Should Be Aware Of

When you begin the journey through the NHS a plan should be made for the relevant appointments, scans and the birth itself. They should discuss with you what further testing may be required and whether you will need to change, start or stop any medications as well as a discussion on any lifestyle changes that are recommended. Usually, your antenatal care will be led by a midwife however this can also involve your GP and, if necessary, a consultant.

They will usually go through with you the kind of symptoms and side-effects that are experienced during the course of the pregnancy and should provide you with signposting for who to contact if you have any concerns.

Dizziness can be one of the more common symptoms throughout a pregnancy. Often this happens as your hormones increase to increase the blood flow to your baby, but in turn this slows the return of the blood flow to your body. This can result in blood sugars or blood pressures being lowered and you will likely receive advice to keep hydrated, ensure that you are eating appropriately and are using slower movements. Dizziness can also be increased in women who have anaemia, varicose veins or pre-eclampsia and the maternity team should highlight this with you. If the dizziness persists and is accompanied by symptoms such as headaches or blurred vision you should ensure that you contact your GP or midwifery team as soon as possible. If however, the dizziness becomes more significant or frequent, or you also are experiencing fainting, bleeding, difficulty breathing or an increased heart rate, it is important to ensure that you are contacting your maternity team or hospital emergency department for an urgent review. These symptoms can be indicative of low lying placenta, placental abruption or an ectopic pregnancy so it is important to be seen at the earliest opportunity to ensure you are receiving the appropriate treatment.

It can also be of note that constant, severe and progressing headaches should not be disregarded. Headaches can be common in the earlier stages of pregnancy. However, particularly after 20 weeks, where normal pain medication has not assisted or where you are also experiencing flashing or blurring of your vision, this can be suggestive of conditions such as pre-eclampsia and this requires assessment at the earliest opportunity. The relevant testing should then be carried out to confirm a diagnosis. Treatment for conditions should as pre-eclampsia is essential as early as possible to prevent growth restriction in the baby or stillbirth in more severe cases.

One of the major symptoms you should report is where there are reduced or no fetal movements. If you are experiencing these symptoms you should ensure that you are contacting your midwifery team at the earliest opportunity. In some cases this can just be where the baby has shifted position, however it can also be suggestive of more significant concerns. The failure to suitably consider, monitor and/or act on reduced foetal movements in some cases can lead to serious brain injuries or a stillbirth if there is a more severe underlying issue that is left untreated.

Other symptoms which may be of concern can be where there is a more severe swelling of your hands, arms, face or legs, a very high fever, unusual abdominal pain which may radiate into your shoulder or back, and extreme fatigue. Where there is vaginal bleeding or fluid leaking this can also be of concern. Additionally if there is a smell to the discharge this can be indicative of an infection. Whilst some of these symptoms may be due to the pregnancy itself, it is important to have clear and open discussions with your maternity team about symptoms to ensure that any complications which require interventions are identified and managed at the earliest opportunity.

Parents may not always know the potential significant of symptoms during the pregnancy and this is why reporting any concerns to your maternity team is essential. However, clinical negligence claims are more often brought in relation to:

-          Negligent management of high-risk pregnancies including for those with gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia

-          Failures to investigate and react to reduced foetal movements

-          Failures to investigate and react to changes in the foetal heart rate

-          Failures in monitoring and escalating second-stage labour and delayed deliveries

There has been a significant increase in investigations into the maternity services with the Ockenden review into the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, the investigation into Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital and more recent investigations of Leeds Teaching Hospitals and East Kent Hospitals. The aim of these investigations is not only to review individual cases but to also consider the services as a whole and identify where key changes are required to improve the services and save lives.

Our team assist with a variety of injuries and losses suffered as a result of poor care that may have been provided throughout your pregnancy journey. If you do believe that there have been issues with your care, our expert solicitors can discuss your potential clinical negligence claim with you and provide you with advice and recommendations on the options available to you. We can offer consultations by telephone or video call, or in any of our branches across the UK.