When you’re pregnant, your OB/GYN should be monitoring you closely, too. There are three conditions in particular – gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and Group B Strep – that can lead to serious complications if they are not diagnosed and managed during your pregnancy. We have created these short videos to help you learn a bit about them.
Gestational Diabetes
Another common concern during the prenatal period is whether you have gestational diabetes. I'm sure you're familiar with diabetes in the general population, which is elevated blood sugar. What occurs during pregnancy is a mom who is not diabetic, or never been diabetic, can actually become a diabetic due to the pregnancy. The concerns are the gestational diabetes can increase the risk that your child is too large to deliver, and can even increase the risks to Mom after the delivery. And therefore, you want to make sure that your OB has tested for gestational diabetes. That's typically done between your 24th and 28th week, and it's a simple blood test that's taken in the morning after you've fasted to check your blood sugar.Preeclampsia
Another condition that you want to watch out for in the prenatal period is called preeclampsia. No one knows what causes it, but it can cause increased risks to you and your baby during delivery. There's three ways to make sure that you can check whether you have this condition. One is whether your blood pressure is high when you go into see your doctor. The second is a lot of swelling in your hands and feet. And the third is to run a urine test if you have protein in your urine. If you have any of these signs or symptoms, make sure you bring them to your OB's attention, because preeclampsia can cause stroke in the mom, as well as increased risk of brain damage for your baby.Group B Strep
Another area to look at in your prenatal period is detection of a bacteria called Group B Strep, or GBS. That is simply a bacteria that women have in the birth canal, and sometimes they can be colonized with it and not know it. It's a simple blood test that is done near the end of your pregnancy, but you want to make sure that your OB takes that test to find out if you are GBS-positive or negative. Don't be concerned if you're GBS-positive. All your OB has to do is give you antibiotics as you're having the baby. But GBS testing is always important to look for. Maternal infections and conditions can affect both mother and child. If your OB, a nurse, a midwife or other medical professional failed to perform these tests, you could be at-risk of a birth injury. At Crandall & Pera Law, we help families protect themselves and their futures. To speak with an experienced birth injury lawyer in Ohio or Kentucky, please call 877-955-0020 or complete our contact form.Related Articles
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