Gestational Diabetes Compensation Claims

How Will I Know If I Have a Gestational Diabetes Compensation Claim?

Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that is only present during pregnancy. Once the woman gives birth, the symptoms tend to disappear. The cause of gestational diabetes is unknown as it does not tend to have any related symptoms. Pregnant women are generally tested for gestational diabetes between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy.

Who is Most at Risk of Gestational Diabetes?

Where there are studies that show that the pregnancy hormones found in women can cause them to not be able to use insulin efficiently, there is little known about the true nature of gestational diabetes, but studies have shown that certain groups tend to have a higher risk for the disease.

• Overweight – It is recommended that a pregnant woman not gain an extensive amount of weight during the pregnancy. Most people look at pregnancy as a way to eat whatever they want and that can lead to significant weight gain and an unhealthy pregnancy. Overweight women are also at a higher risk of gestational diabetes due to poor eating habits.
• Prior Diagnosis – Gestational diabetes is one of the risks of pregnancy that are likely to show up with each additional pregnancy. If you have been diagnosed before, it is important to make sure that you are considered high risk for gestational diabetes again. The doctors should monitor you more closely with each additional pregnancy.
• High Previous Birth Weight – If you have had a child in the past that has been born with extremely high birth weight, but you were never actually diagnosed with gestational diabetes with that pregnancy, you are likely to have the issue with your additional pregnancies.
• Family History – Like most diabetes cases, gestational diabetes can be passed down through the generations. Those that have had a family history of both type one and type two diabetes carry a greater risk for developing the condition during all their pregnancies.

How Can Gestational Diabetes Misdiagnosis Occur?

Throughout the pregnancy, a woman is subjected to a barrage of health checks to ensure that the baby and mother remain healthy, but some things can be missed or misdiagnosed as something else entirely. A misdiagnosis of either having gestational diabetes when the patient does not, or misdiagnosing the apparent gestational diabetes as something else can carry great risk.

• Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes – Although it is quite rare, some pregnant women do develop type 1 or type 2 diabetes during pregnancy. This is not usually found out however until after the birth when the blood sugar levels do not go back to normal.
• Better Health Checks – Misdiagnosis can also occur simply because the mother is more concerned for the care of her baby than that of herself. A non-pregnant woman will not go to the doctor as often for seemingly small ailments like they will when they are pregnant and therefore better health checks can prove to bring about a diagnosis of diabetes that may have already developed prior to pregnancy.
• MODY – Maturity Onset Diabetes is becoming more and more common as adults healthy eating habits deteriorate. This is often the case in older pregnant women where they are diagnosed with gestational diabetes rather than MODY.
• Pancreatitis – Some medical professionals may diagnose gestational diabetes to a patient that actually has pancreatitis. If left untreated, the pancreatitis can pose a significant threat to the mother as well as the baby. The pancreatitis can come in different stages including acute and chronic cases.
• Hemochromatosis – Iron levels are closely monitored during a standard pregnancy to keep down the risk of the inherited disorder of hemochromatosis. The disorder can sometimes be missed if the doctor misdiagnoses it at gestational diabetes.
• Impaired Glucose Tolerance – Blood glucose levels that are high, yet not high enough to qualify as diabetes are known as impaired glucose tolerance. Doctors that are too quick to determine that a patient has gestational diabetes can miss this particular syndrome thereby resulting in improper care of the mother and baby.

Am I Eligible to Make A Claim for Compensation?

Gestational diabetes is on the rise due to poor eating habits and obesity and more and more pregnancies are being treated with care for this particular issue, but many times the doctors can misdiagnose due to a lack of monitoring the mother and baby’s overall health. Doctor’s offices are sometimes overloaded and physicians can simply forget about a test or just neglect a patient altogether. Your baby and your own health should always be your physician’s top priority and therefore if you feel as though you were not given adequate care that caused your baby to be born premature or with health issues upon birth, then you may have a claim. It is however in your best interest to act as soon as possible as there may be limitations on how long you have to make your claim.

If you have suffered Gestational Diabetes as a result of an accident that wasn’t your fault then you may be able to make a claim. Call Tylers today on (freephone): 0800 699 0079 to see if you can make a claim today.

For any Birth Injury Claims, call Tylers Solicitors today, a leading UK provider of no-win, no-fee legal services. Our experienced team will work with you to get the maximum amount of compensation you’re entitled to, following any kind of injury that isn’t your fault!