Given these significant increases, it is extremely important for expectant parents to know the risk factors for gestational diabetes and the effects it can have on their baby. This includes birth injuries such as cerebral palsy and brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy), which may leave children with long-term injuries and lifelong disabilities.
Many pregnant women develop gestational diabetes, particularly during the later stages of pregnancy. It is caused by a buildup of glucose in the blood as the body is unable to make or use all of the insulin needed to convert glucose into energy. The common risk factors for gestational diabetes include:
• Being overweight or obese or gaining significant weight during pregnancy
• Having developed gestational diabetes in a prior pregnancy
• Being over the age of 25
• Having polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS
• Having a family history of diabetes.
Some women may develop gestational diabetes even if they do not have any of these risk factors. It is also easy to miss the symptoms of gestational diabetes because they can be mistaken for typical pregnancy symptoms such as exhaustion.
One of the consequences of gestational diabetes is that some babies grow too large to safely pass through the mother’s birth canal. This may prolong the delivery and/or cause other complications. When a baby becomes stuck in the birth canal because he or she is too large and does not get enough oxygen, this may cause a condition called cerebral palsy. Children who develop cerebral palsy require ongoing medical care and physical therapy. They may also face other health issues including problems with speech and vision.
Brachial plexus palsy or Erb’s Palsy is another condition linked to gestational diabetes. If a baby grows too large, their arm or shoulder may get stuck in the birth canal. When doctors use excessive force to remove the baby, they may damage the child’s brachial plexus nerves. This nerve damage leads to permanent injuries and serious disabilities including paralysis of the arm.
The experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you. One of our clients secured a $2,850,000 verdict in an Erb’s palsy (brachial plexus palsy) case that was reduced by the appeals court to $1,846,000 because the verdict was so large. This was the highest amount upheld by the appellate (appeals) courts for many, many years. In addition we recovered $1,400,000 for a newborn who lost motion in the arm during birth due to doctors applying incorrect force on the baby’s head. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
It is the responsibility of medical professionals to monitor the condition of the fetus and the mother and make decisions that reduce or eliminate a risky delivery. If your child has suffered a birth injury such as cerebral palsy, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s Palsy) linked to gestational diabetes, he or she may be able to receive compensation that helps pay for medical expenses, lost income, cost of therapy, future treatments, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc.
We have seen cases where New York City Health and Hospital Corporation facilities deliver babies who are born with cerebral palsy or brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) stemming from negligence (carelessness), and/or medical malpractice in the labor and delivery etc. of the children. The following list identifies some of these hospitals (operated by New York City Health and Hospital Corporation):
• Jacobi Hospital aka Bronx Municipal 1400 Pelham Parkway South Bronx, New York 10461 718-918-5000
• Lincoln Hospital 234 East 149th Street Bronx, New York 10451 718-579-5000
• North Central Bronx Hospital 3424 Kossuth Avenue Bronx, New York 10467 718-519-5000
• Coney Island Hospital 2601 Ocean Parkway Brooklyn, New York 11235 718-616-3000
• Kings County Hospital 451 Clarkson Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11203 718-245-3131
• Woodhull Hospital 760 Broadway Brooklyn, New York 11206 718-963-8000
• Bellevue Hospital 462 First Avenue New York, New York 10016 212-562-5555
• Harlem Hospital 506 Lenox Avenue New York, New York 10037 212-939-1000
• Metropolitan Hospital 1901 First Avenue New York, New York 10029 212-423-6262
• Elmhurst Hospital 79-01 Broadway Elmhurst, New York 11373 718-334-4000
• Queens Hospital Center 82-68 164th Street Jamaica, New York 11432 718-883-3000
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury, lead poisoning and medical malpractice cases including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
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1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
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