Medical Malpractice Lawyers

Cleveland Birth Injury Attorney Q & A: What is Fetal Distress?

Fetal distress is often used to describe when the fetus is not getting enough oxygen either during gestation or labor. Most doctors avoid the term, however, because it is too vague and not well defined. Its ambiguity makes it difficult to diagnose as well as treat.

Another term for it would be birth asphyxia, when the fetus does not get enough oxygen before, during or after labor. It can be one of the most common causes of birth injury, our Cleveland birth injury attorneys report. There are many causes, including low oxygen in the mother’s blood or reduced blood flow caused by a constricted umbilical cord.

Many confuse birth asphyxia with fetal distress, but most doctors consider both terms too vague. For clarity and better diagnoses and treatment, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) instead prefers  “non-reassuring fetal status.”  They recommend that doctors list additional findings such as fetal tachycardia, bradycardia, repetitive variable decelerations, low biophysical profile and late decelerations.

The layman’s term may be fetal distress, but a birth injury attorney in Cleveland needs to know a more detailed diagnosis to determine if it was the result of a negligence or malpractice before taking such a case to court.