If your baby suffered a birth injury because your doctor misdiagnosed a folic acid deficiency, you may have grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Folic acid deficiency during pregnancy can lead to birth defects. Such issues often result from anemia caused by a lack of folate (another term for folic acid). It is therefore essential for a doctor treating an expectant mother to monitor folic acid levels and red blood cell count. If one or both fall below healthy levels, the doctor has a duty of care to make the correct diagnosis and administer treatment.
If your baby suffered a birth injury because your doctor misdiagnosed a folic acid deficiency, you may have grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit. A Newsome | Melton folic acid deficiency anemia misdiagnosis birth injury lawyer can help you seek compensation.
We fight for injured victims and hold doctors and healthcare professionals accountable for birth injuries, including those caused by anemia and misdiagnosis. We offer a free consultation and never collect an attorney’s fee unless you recover compensation. Call 888-526-8947 today.
Your Doctor’s Responsibility to Diagnose and Treat Folic Acid Deficiency Anemia
A folic acid deficiency during pregnancy can lead to a number of birth defects, including heart conditions, spina bifida, and anencephaly. Folic acid is essential for expectant mothers because it helps red blood cells, which are critical to healthy fetal development.
Experts recommend that expectant mothers consume at least 600 micrograms of folic acid daily, according to MedlinePlus. Expectant mothers should also have their blood counts checked regularly, because early anemia detection may lower the risk of complications for the baby.
If you developed symptoms of folic acid deficiency anemia during pregnancy, your doctor should have recognized them and ordered testing. Maternal symptoms of folic acid deficiency include:
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Pale skin
- Sore mouth or tongue
The folic acid deficiency anemia misdiagnosis birth injury lawyers at Newsome | Melton can review your medical records and other documents, searching for evidence that your doctor had a duty to diagnose and treat your folic acid deficiency and did not do so, leading to your child’s birth defect.
Newsome | Melton Can Help Pursue a Malpractice Claim
For a medical malpractice claim to be successful, it needs to show four things:
- Your doctor owed you and your child a duty of care;
- Your doctor was negligent in the care he or she provided;
- Your child suffered a birth injury because of your doctor’s negligence;
- You incurred damages because of your child’s birth injury.
Duty of Care
A duty of care exists between all doctors and their patients. Moreover, it extends to anyone who works for the doctor in a healthcare capacity: nurses, lab technicians, physicians’ assistants, and so forth.
Negligent Medical Care
The next thing we must demonstrate is that your doctor acted negligently in caring for you and your child during pregnancy. Using evidence, we can show that given the information your doctor had, such as your symptoms, physical appearance, or lab results, a reasonable physician in the same scenario would have made the proper diagnosis of folate-deficiency anemia and acted to treat the condition.
Your Child Suffered a Birth Injury
We must demonstrate that your doctor’s negligence caused your child’s birth injury. We may call upon medical experts to help establish both the doctor’s failure to follow the standard of care as well as to help link the doctor’s negligence to your child’s birth injury.
Economic or Non-Economic Damages
Finally, we must show the economic and non-economic damages your family suffered because of your child’s birth injury. This allows us to pursue the liable party for the full compensation you deserve.
Newsome | Melton Can Help Recover Damages for Your Child’s Folic Acid Deficiency-Related Birth Injury
At Newsome | Melton, we see to it that our clients collect the damages they deserve for their child’s birth injuries. You may be eligible to recover compensation for:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Costs of caring for your child
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional anguish
For a free case evaluation and to learn more about how a folic acid deficiency anemia misdiagnosis birth injury lawyer from Newsome | Melton can help you, call 888-526-8947 today.
Statute of Limitations
Every state has a statute of limitations on birth injury lawsuits that sets a limit on how much time you have to take legal action. If you let it expire, you may lose your right to recover damages, even if you have a strong case and substantial evidence.