Chicago Misdiagnosed Gestational Diabetes Lawyer

At Rosenfield Injury Lawyers, we help families pursue compensation when medical professionals fail to diagnose or adequately manage gestational diabetes. If you or your child suffered harm due to a misdiagnosis, a gestational diabetes lawyer from our team is ready to fight for your rights.

What is Gestational Diabetes?

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy when the body cannot produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. This condition usually arises in the second or third trimester and can affect pregnant women who have never been diagnosed with diabetes before.

The body relies on insulin to help move glucose from the bloodstream into cells for energy. Hormonal changes during pregnancy can lead to insulin resistance, making it harder for the body to regulate blood sugar. If the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to compensate, blood sugar levels rise, leading to gestational diabetes.

While any pregnant woman can develop this condition, certain factors increase the likelihood, including:

• Family history of diabetes;
• Obesity or excess weight before pregnancy;
• High blood pressure or other metabolic disorders;
• A previous pregnancy affected by gestational diabetes;
• Being over the age of 25;
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which affects insulin regulation.

Risks of Misdiagnosed Gestational Diabetes

When gestational diabetes is misdiagnosed or mismanaged, both the mother and baby face serious health risks. Proper diagnosis and treatment are essential to keeping blood sugar levels under control and preventing complications. 

However, if a doctor negligently fails to provide a gestational diabetes diagnosis, a mother may not receive the care she needs, increasing the chances of birth injury and long-term health problems for both her and her child.

Risks to Pregnant Women

When gestational diabetes doctors fail to diagnose or adequately manage the disease can lead to severe complications for the mother, both during pregnancy and beyond. Some of the most significant risks include:

• Preeclampsia (dangerously high blood pressure): Women diagnosed with gestational diabetes are at a higher risk for preeclampsia, a condition that causes high blood pressure, organ damage, and severe swelling. If left untreated, preeclampsia can result in seizures, stroke, or even maternal death.
• Increased risk of cesarean section: Excessive birth weight caused by gestational diabetes increases the chances of difficult labor, often leading doctors to recommend a C-section. While this may reduce certain birth risks, it also comes with a longer recovery time, greater risk of infection, and more complications in a future pregnancy.
• Development of type 2 diabetes later in life: Gestational diabetes increases a mother’s risk of developing diabetes later in life, especially if her condition was mismanaged during pregnancy. Without proper care, blood sugar problems may persist even after childbirth.

Risks to the Baby

A gestational diabetes misdiagnosis can also have life-threatening consequences for the baby. Some of the most common risks include:

• Macrosomia (excessively large birth weight): High blood sugar levels during pregnancy can cause the baby to grow too large, leading to a difficult delivery, risk of birth injury, and a higher likelihood of needing a C-section.
• Birth injuries: A large baby can become stuck in the birth canal, increasing the chances of shoulder dystocia, brachial plexus injury, and nerve damage. In severe cases, babies may suffer from hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), cerebral palsy, or permanent brain damage due to oxygen deprivation during delivery.
• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar after birth): Babies born to mothers with mismanaged gestational diabetes often experience low blood sugar after birth. If not treated immediately, hypoglycemia can lead to seizures, brain injury, and long-term developmental delays.
• Respiratory distress: Babies born to mothers with untreated gestational diabetes are at a higher risk of breathing problems after birth, which may require immediate medical intervention.
• Jaundice: High blood sugar levels in the mother can contribute to newborn jaundice, a condition that causes yellowing of the skin and eyes due to excess bilirubin in the blood. If untreated, severe jaundice can lead to brain damage.
• Increased risk of childhood obesity and diabetes: Studies show that gestational diabetes can lead to long-term metabolic issues in children, increasing their risk of obesity, insulin resistance, and developing diabetes later in life.

Medical Negligence and Misdiagnosis

Doctors and healthcare professionals are responsible for monitoring expectant mothers, identifying risk factors, and conducting the proper tests to diagnose gestational diabetes. When a doctor negligently fails to perform these duties, the consequences can be severe. 

A missed diagnosis or mismanagement of gestational diabetes can result in serious birth injuries, long-term complications, and preventable harm to both the mother and baby.

If a medical professional fails to diagnose or adequately treat gestational diabetes, you may have a case for medical malpractice. Understanding how gestational diabetes should be diagnosed and how misdiagnosis occurs can help determine if negligence played a role in your situation.

How Is Gestational Diabetes Diagnosed?

Screening for gestational diabetes is a routine part of prenatal care, typically performed between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. However, women with risk factors may require earlier testing.

Doctors use two primary tests to check for gestational diabetes:

• Glucose challenge test (GCT): This is the first screening test. The mother drinks a sugary solution, and her blood sugar levels are measured one hour later. A second test is needed to confirm a diagnosis if the results show high glucose levels.
• Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT): Doctors perform this more detailed test if the glucose challenge test indicates abnormal blood sugar levels. The mother fasts overnight, then drinks a glucose solution, and blood samples are taken at multiple intervals to measure how her body processes sugar.

How Misdiagnosis Occurs

Gestational diabetes is commonly misdiagnosed due to medical errors. Some of the most frequent causes of misdiagnosis include:

• Failure to perform screening tests: Some doctors neglect to screen expectant mothers for gestational diabetes, especially if they do not display obvious symptoms. Without proper testing, the condition can go undetected, leading to untreated gestational diabetes.
• Misinterpreting test results: Even when glucose levels are measured, errors in reading or recording results can cause a doctor to miss the diagnosis. In some cases, healthcare professionals may overlook slightly elevated blood sugar levels, dismissing them as normal rather than ordering further testing.
• Ignoring risk factors or symptoms: If a doctor misses key warning signs, such as a family history of diabetes or excessive weight gain, they may fail to diagnose the condition early enough to prevent complications.
• Inadequate patient education and counseling: Even when a woman is diagnosed, failing to provide proper guidance on how to control blood sugar through diet, exercise, or medication can lead to gestational diabetes mismanagement, putting both mother and baby at risk.

Establishing Medical Negligence

A medical malpractice case for a failure to diagnose gestational diabetes requires proving that a healthcare provider’s negligence caused harm. The following four legal elements must be established:

• Duty of care: A doctor-patient relationship existed, meaning the medical provider was responsible for following the accepted standard of care for diagnosing and treating gestational diabetes.
• Breach of duty: The doctor failed to meet the standard of care by either neglecting to perform proper testing, misreading results, or failing to treat the condition appropriately.
• Causation: The doctor’s failure to diagnose or adequately manage gestational diabetes directly caused harm to the mother or baby, such as birth injuries, excessive birth weight, or brain injury.
• Damages: The mother or child suffered measurable harm, including medical expenses, pain and suffering damages, lost wages, or the need for long-term medical care due to complications like cerebral palsy, Erb’s palsy, or lifelong brain damage.

Seeking Compensation for Misdiagnosed Gestational Diabetes

When a doctor negligently fails to diagnose or adequately manage gestational diabetes, the consequences can be devastating. Mothers may experience serious health complications, and babies may suffer birth injuries, long-term disabilities, or even life-threatening conditions. These preventable mistakes can lead to significant medical bills, lost income, and mental anguish for families.

Types of Damages in a Medical Malpractice Claim

Depending on the severity of the harm caused by the failure to diagnose a mother’s gestational diabetes, victims of negligence may be entitled to various types of damages.

Economic Damages

These damages cover measurable financial losses resulting from the misdiagnosis and its complications. They may include:

• Medical expenses: Costs for hospital stays, emergency care, specialist visits, ongoing treatments, and future medical care related to birth injuries or complications.
• Lost wages: If the mother or child requires extensive medical care, parents may miss work or lose income due to caregiving responsibilities.

Noneconomic Damages

These damages compensate for intangible losses that do not have a direct financial cost but still significantly impact a family’s quality of life. Examples include:

• Pain and suffering: Compensation for physical pain and emotional trauma caused by the misdiagnosis and resulting complications.
• Emotional distress: Many parents experience anxiety, depression, and emotional trauma when their child suffers birth injuries or long-term disabilities.
• Loss of enjoyment of life: If the baby develops a disability or chronic condition as a result of the misdiagnosis, their ability to live an everyday, independent life may be significantly reduced.

Wrongful Death Damages

In the most tragic cases, gestational diabetes can lead to stillbirth or neonatal death if left untreated. Families who lose a child due to a doctor’s misdiagnosis or mismanagement of gestational diabetes may seek compensation for:

• Funeral and burial expenses;
• Loss of companionship and parental joy.

The Role of a Chicago Misdiagnosed Gestational Diabetes Attorney

Pursuing a gestational diabetes misdiagnosis lawsuit can be overwhelming, especially while dealing with the emotional and physical impact of a birth injury or medical complications. A skilled birth injury lawyer can help guide families through the legal process, ensuring they receive the compensation they deserve for the harm caused by medical negligence.

A lawyer will start by conducting a detailed investigation into the case. This includes gathering medical records, lab results, and doctor’s notes to determine whether proper screening was done and if test results were misread or ignored.

Reviewing prenatal care records can help identify whether a doctor overlooked essential risk factors, such as insulin resistance or a family history of diabetes. If key warning signs were ignored, this may indicate negligence.

To build a strong case, a misdiagnosis lawyer will work closely with medical experts, including obstetricians, endocrinologists, and birth injury specialists. These professionals provide critical insight into whether the standard of care was breached and how proper treatment could have prevented complications such as excessive birth weight, fetal distress, or birth injuries. 

Expert testimony can also help establish how the gestational diabetes misdiagnosis led to serious harm, such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, cerebral palsy, or permanent brain damage.

Hospitals and insurance companies often try to deny responsibility or minimize payouts in birth injury lawsuits. An experienced birth injury lawyer can handle all negotiations, ensuring that families are not pressured into accepting a low gestational diabetes settlement that fails to cover the full extent of their losses.

If the insurance company refuses fair compensation, the medical malpractice lawyer can file a lawsuit and represent the family in court. This includes preparing legal filings, presenting medical evidence, and arguing for maximum compensation for the child’s injuries and the mother’s suffering.

Contact Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers Now!

At Rosenfield Injury Lawyers, we advocate for mothers and children who have suffered due to a doctor’s failure to diagnose or adequately manage gestational diabetes. Our team works to hold negligent medical professionals accountable while securing financial relief for medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering damages.

Our Chicago personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, which means you won’t pay any legal fees unless we successfully recover your compensation. Call us at (888) 424-5757 to schedule a free consultation or fill out our contact form.

All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.