Phoenix Placental Abruption Attorneys

During pregnancy, the mother’s placenta provides the growing fetus with essential oxygen and nutrients. Unfortunately, this placenta can separate from the uterine wall before or during the birthing process, resulting in serious injuries for mother and child. Known as “placental abruption,” at least 1 in 100 women will experience this phenomenon during their pregnancy – and without proper maternal care and treatment, the complications can be fatal.

If your health care provider failed to take prompt action for a placental abruption, you may be entitled to receive compensation for your losses. At Cullan & Cullan, our birth injury attorneys are known throughout Phoenix for getting results in complex medical malpractice cases. We have doctor-lawyers on our team and can review your case from a place of medical knowledge and insight, increasing your chances of success.

Call (602) 900-9483 for a free consultation on your placental abruption injury claim.

Common Risk Factors For Placental Abruption

Placental abruption can be sudden, and while it most often takes place in the final trimester, it can also occur as early as 20 weeks into the pregnancy. There are many documented risk factors for placental abruption, so doctors should be actively monitoring all pregnant patients for signs of these risk factors. Your health care provider should also have a clear plan of action prepared in case the placenta prematurely detaches from the uterus.

Here are some of the risk factors that can increase your chances of a placental abruption:

• Chronic high blood pressure
• Uterine infection during pregnancy
• Breaking water before 37 weeks
• A history of physical abuse or injury to the abdomen
• Preeclampsia and hypertension
• Carrying twins, triplets, or quadruplets
• Previous placental abruptions
• Getting pregnant at age 35 or older

Symptoms Of Placental Abruption

Although the causes and risk factors for placental abruption can vary, the symptoms are typically always marked by vaginal bleeding and pain throughout the abdomen and back. In about 20% of cases, the placenta can stop blood flow inside the uterus, cutting off the baby’s supply of oxygen in the process. This is the most serious form of placental abruption. Ultrasound can help diagnose placental abruption.

Here are some of the other signs and symptoms of this condition:

• Uterine tenderness and pain
• Early and rapid uterine contractions
• Abdominal pain
• Lower back pain
• Abnormalities in fetal heart rate
• Vaginal bleeding

As soon as your doctor or nurse suspects that you’re experiencing a placental abruption, they should take immediate action to treat it. Partial placenta separations may not always require invasive treatment, but your doctor should perform additional tests and carefully observe your condition for several days before discharging. When the placenta has completely separated from the uterine wall, your doctor will most likely need to induce early labor.

Long-Term Complications

Without medical intervention, placental abruption can have serious and lasting consequences for both baby and mother. It’s estimated that about 15% of all severe placental abruption cases lead to a fetal death or stillbirth – and placental abruption can also cause maternal death.

Other long-term complications associated with abruption include:

• Fetal growth disorders due to lack of nutrients
• Infant brain damage due to lack of oxygen
• Maternal blood clotting and/or uncontrolled bleeding
• Hysterectomy (uterine removal)
• Maternal organ failure

Compassionate Counsel For Your Birth Injury Claim

Whether you’ve lost your baby or suffered severe injuries from a placental abruption, you deserve to seek some measure of justice for those losses. Medical professionals have a high “duty of care” towards their pregnant patients, as there are two lives at stake in every case.

When you need assistance pursuing a birth injury claim in Phoenix, we are here to help. With over 30 years of experience investigating and preparing placental abruption cases, we can create a scientifically-sound case strategy to seek compensation. We always treat our clients with compassion and care, and we’ll fight hard to ensure that you and your family receive financial assistance during this difficult time.

You won’t pay unless we win your case. Contact Cullan & Cullan at (602) 900-9483 to schedule your free consultation.