Few life events are as momentous as the birth of a child. While the childbirth process is natural and common, there are a number of complications that can occur prior to and during childbirth. In most cases, through the use of medical monitoring devices, nurses and doctors are able to detect when an unborn baby or mother is in distress and respond accordingly.

The mother of a two-year-old girl recently filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the hospital where her daughter was born. Upon arriving at the hospital in labor, the woman was leaking amniotic fluid. While hospital staff members continued to monitor the woman's vital signs, clues that indicated something was wrong were not reported to her primary physician.

A whole night passed before the woman's doctor was notified of the woman's elevated blood pressure and leaking amniotic fluid. By the time the woman's primary physician learned of these symptoms she was diagnosed with a serious medical condition which affects pregnant women known as preeclampsia.

The woman gave birth to a baby girl who immediately showed signs of distress and trauma including involuntary tremors. The baby was subsequently diagnosed as having cerebral palsy a condition that most readily results from brain damage typically suffered at birth.

The woman recently filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the hospital where she gave birth citing the hospital was negligent in failing to notify her primary doctor of her physical condition. As a result, the woman asserts both she and her daughter have been forced to endure severe mental and emotional distress caused by the girl's permanent disability. Additionally, the woman is seeking to recover compensation related to both past and future medical expenses associated with her daughter's treatment and care.

Source: The Southeast Texas Record, "Mother alleges daughter's cerebral palsy could have been avoided," Kelly Holleran, Sep. 20, 2013