Nonstress Tests During Pregnancy
Prenatal Nonstress Tests
Prenatal testing is critical during a mother’s pregnancy. If doctors suspect any abnormalities, early intervention during prenatal checkups gives the mother the best chances for a safe delivery. Nonstress tests (NST) during pregnancy can offer valuable insight into fetal wellbeing without using invasive methods.
Nonstress tests measure fetal heart rates during pregnancy and can alert healthcare providers to any signs of fetal distress. When they return abnormal results, it can reveal larger pregnancy complications such as an umbilical cord problem or placental complication.
When doctors don’t discover complications until delivery, it can delay emergency intervention and result in birth injuries or even death. OB-GYNs, nurses, and all other healthcare professionals must do everything they can to avoid these outcomes. When they fail to detect complications early enough through improper testing procedures, it may constitute medical malpractice.
Birth Injury Malpractice Attorneys
Our top rated birth injury attorneys specialize in identifying how prenatal testing errors lead to severe birth injuries. If you or someone you know suffered from the effects of uncaught complications, don’t hesitate to contact our firm. We can answer difficult legal and medical questions and investigate the facts on your behalf.
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Birth Injury Lawyers
(888) 987-0005Our Birth Injury Lawyers are available to meet you in your home or the hospital.
Our vast network of medical experts and in-house nursing staff and nurse-attorneys gives us the edge over our competition. When we take your case, we assign you with an entire medical team. This team not only consists of attorneys but also nursing advocates and medical experts.
Your team is available to assist with any day-to-day treatment you or your child may need. This includes assistance with medical records, scheduling doctors’ appointments, providing transportation, and any other problems that may arise.
We offer all of this on a contingency fee basis. This means you will not pay any fees until after we win your case and secure a settlement. Miller Weisbrod Olesky’s unmatched track record of birth injury results sets us apart from other birth injury law firms.
Recent Birth Injury Settlement:
Birth Injury settlement against a hospital in which nurses and physicians failed to properly monitor the mother's blood pressure during delivery causing an HIE event resulting in neonatal seizures and cerebral palsy at birth. Our team of top-rated birth injury lawyers recovered $13,750,000 for the family to help with future medical expenses and developmental therapy.
What is a Prenatal Nonstress Test?
A nonstress test (NST) is a prenatal screening exam that monitors fetal heart rates in response to uterine contractions. Medical professionals will perform the test during the third trimester of pregnancy, typically after 28 weeks of gestation.
The test is “nonstress” because it places no extra stress on the mother and her baby while it happens. This differs from other “stress” tests where doctors have the mother lightly exercise as they monitor her contractions. For stress tests, medical professionals will usually have the mother walk on a treadmill or pedal on a stationary bike.
A nonstress test requires no preparation from the mother’s side, and the procedure does not carry any risks to it. It will take around 30 minutes to complete.
How Does a Prenatal Nonstress Test Work?
The nonstress test procedure is fairly straightforward. The mother lies down on the examination table while the healthcare provider wraps two elastic belt sensors around her abdomen. One sensor monitors the mother’s contractions (including contractions she cannot feel), while the other sensor monitors the baby’s heartbeat.
The sensors record this information for roughly 30 minutes, at which point the provider will remove the belts. The results will be immediately available for the healthcare provider to analyze and share with the mother.
How to Read a Prenatal Nonstress Test
A nonstress test is either reactive or nonreactive. When the results are reactive, it means that the baby’s heart rate responded as expected by increasing during a contraction. This is the desired result because it indicates that the baby has a sufficient supply of oxygen.
When the result is nonreactive, it means the baby’s heart rate did not increase appropriately in response to contractions. While it doesn’t necessarily guarantee an issue, it does merit further testing to be sure the baby is healthy.
Why Do Doctors Order Nonstress Tests During Pregnancy?
Medical professionals do not conduct nonstress tests for every expecting mother. The test is typically a precautionary measure when the mother has any underlying pregnancy complications or worrying risk factors.
Some examples of cases where a medical provider may order a nonstress test include:
Post Term Pregnancy
Complications can arise if a mother’s pregnancy extends past her due date (usually over 40 weeks). Issues like uteroplacental insufficiency can threaten the baby’s oxygen supply and lead to prolonged perinatal hypoxia. Medical professionals may order a nonstress test to ensure the baby isn’t showingsigns of fetal distress.
High Risk Pregnancy
Doctors may classify a mother’s pregnancy as high risk when she has pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes or preeclampsia. Medical professionals may order her a nonstress test out of elevated concern for the baby’s wellbeing.
Low Fetal Movement
It can be cause for concern when the mother reports not feeling her baby moving, kicking, or repositioning. Low fetal movement can indicate complications like nuchal cord, abnormal fetal positioning, or even fetal demise (stillbirth).
Intrauterine Growth Restriction
When the baby measures small for gestational age, it can indicate that they aren’t receiving enough oxygen or nutrients. This can sometimes stem from placental complications or umbilical cord problems. The doctor may order a nonstress test earlier in the mother’s pregnancy to pinpoint the origin of the issue.
Expecting Multiples
If the mother is expecting twins or multiples, the babies have a higher chance for experiencing fetal distress. A nonstress test can help to monitor fetal heart rates for the multiples and ensure they are all healthy.
About Labor Complications with Twins
Rh or ABO Incompatibility
When the mother is Rh negative, it means her red blood cells lack the RhD protein. It does not always guarantee that her baby will be Rh negative, however.
If the baby is Rh positive, the mother’s body will make antibodies against the baby’s blood. Similar issues can arise if the mother’s blood type differs from her baby’s. Both scenarios can cause serious complications like anemia or jaundice.
Medical professionals may follow up with a nonstress test if they notice an incompatibility between Rh or blood type.
All medical professionals involved in prenatal testing have a responsibility to assess the full picture of a mother’s pregnancy. This means screening her for any of the above complications and ordering the appropriate tests to monitor fetal health.
Failing to order a nonstress test despite risk factors for risk of fetal distress and oxygen deprivation can lead to preventable complications. When improper or incomplete prenatal testing results in birth injuries, a valid medical malpractice claim may exist.
What Happens After a Prenatal Nonstress Test?
The next steps after a nonstress test during pregnancy should depend on the results. Reactive results (meaning the baby’s heart rate increased or responded as expected) warrant no further intervention.
However, nonreactive results (meaning the baby’s heart rate did not react at least twice within 20 minutes) require additional testing. A baby can show nonreactive results for more reasons outside of oxygen deprivation. For example, they could be asleep during the examination.
The healthcare provider may try getting a reaction out of a nonreactive baby using a vibrating buzzer or another tool.
If the result remains nonreactive, the provider may order additional testing. This may include a contraction stress test, where the mother takes a medication stimulating small contractions that won’t induce labor. These contractions will be slightly stronger and are more likely to get a response from the baby’s heart rate.
The medical provider may also conduct a biophysical profile. This is an examination that combines a nonstress test with an ultrasound to analyze baby beyond just their heart rate.
These tests can further support a doctor’s suspicions of an underlying pregnancy complication. If the complication is depriving the baby of necessary nutrients and sufficient oxygen levels, they may discuss inducing labor. This is only if they believe it is unsafe for the mother to carry to term.
What Issues Can Arise from Oxygen Deprivation?
Fetal hypoxia occurs when the baby’s organs and tissues receive diminished levels of oxygenation. This can progress into a complete cutoff of oxygen from the brain, known as anoxia.
The brain and heart depend heavily on oxygen during pregnancy so they can circulate it to the other critical organs. Because oxygen travels primarily through the blood, a cutoff of blood flow (ischemia) can also lead to birth asphyxia.
Going without oxygenated blood for a prolonged period can kill off brain cells, resulting in serious brain injuries at birth. The most common brain damage at birth is hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), an injury stemming from prolonged hypoxia and ischemia.
HIE can cause a ranging number of birth complications and disorders throughout childhood. This can include seizures and epilepsy, vision impairments, speech impairments, lack of control over gross motor function and delayed developmental milestones. HIE is the leading cause of cerebral palsy in young children.
Medical professionals can prevent brain injuries like HIE when they catch fetal distress and oxygen deprivation early enough. Tools like the nonstress test can be invaluable to preventing a wide variety of birth injuries and even deaths.
Did Doctors Miss or Mismanage My Pregnancy Complication?
Proper prenatal testing is the best predictor of fetal and maternal outcomes. It is important for healthcare providers to screen the mother for any complications using every available tool at their disposal. This includes performing nonstress tests when applicable.
Birth injury negligence includes failing to properly monitor the baby before birth and missing signs of non-reassuring fetal heart rates. When this inaction leads to preventable birth injuries or deaths, it can constitute medical malpractice.
If a family believes medical negligence caused or worsened a child’s injuries, legal support may be an option. A specialized birth injury attorney can review the medical records and circumstances to assess whether a claim exists.
Families who have experienced the effects of missed complications deserve to know whether better medical care could have prevented them. Our top rated birth injury lawyers will help you find those answers and obtain the necessary funds to secure treatment.
Our team at Miller Weisbrod Olesky will thoroughly investigate the facts, holding responsible parties accountable by pursuing medical malpractice claims.
Birth Injury Malpractice: Statute of Limitations
A statute of limitations is a law that sets a time limit on how long an injured person has to file a lawsuit after an accident. It is essential to understand that statutes of limitations vary based on the case and the state where you file. For instance, the deadline for birth injury claims is typically different from other claims, such as injury to private property.
Generally, the clock starts ticking on the date the injury occurred. However, there are exceptions to this rule. In some cases, the statute of limitations starts when a person discovers or reasonably should have discovered an injury. When dealing with government agencies, SOLs can become even more complex.
For example, if the party that injured you was:
- A federal employee
- Employed by a military hospital, Veterans Administration facility, or a federally funded medical entity
You may need to file a birth injury claim under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). In FTCA cases, claimants must go through certain administrative procedures before filing a lawsuit. In some states, you may have less time to give notice if:
- The negligent party was a local or state government hospital.
- The doctors and medical providers are employees of a governmental entity.
If you file your case outside of the statute of limitations, the court will typically dismiss it. This means you will not be eligible to recover compensation for you or your child’s injuries.
Determining when a statute of limitations begins on your case can be tricky. If you are considering pursuing compensation for a birth injury, contact an attorney as soon as possible.
How Can Our Birth Injury Attorneys Help?
Improper pregnancy screening procedures can be the first step in causing a child’s life-altering birth injury. It takes an expert review of the facts of your pregnancy to determine whether medical professionals made preventable errors.
Our Process
Our team of committed birth injury attorneys, nurses and paraprofessionals works to answer these questions and seek compensation. We use our detailed medical negligence case review process to assess your potential birth injury case.
We start by learning more about your pregnancy by gathering records to determine what happened during and after your delivery. This includes a detailed review of the treatment doctors provided or failed to provide during scheduled prenatal testing checkups.
We will call in skilled medical experts who review your records and provide insight into where medical professionals went wrong. If we feel medical negligence caused or worsened you or your child’s injuries, we meet with you to discuss further.
At no point in our legal intake process will we ask you to pay anything. The medical review of your case and the consultation are free. We only receive payment once you do. The sooner you reach out, the sooner we can investigate your case and gather the evidence to support your claim.
We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you will not pay any legal fees until we win your case. We do not purse any medical malpractice cases unless we fully believe we can win.
Contact us today to schedule your free consultation by calling our toll-free line at (888) 987-0005. You can also reach us by filling out our online request form.
Miller Weisbrod Olesky
At Miller Weisbrod Olesky, the attorneys, nurses, and staff understand that parents of children with birth injuries feel overwhelmed. So, every client has the attention and support of a team of trained, compassionate professionals. But we don’t just offer compassion.
We offer a process to help you discover whether your child’s birth injury, HIE, cerebral palsy or brain injury was caused by a medical error.
Call our offices today at 888.987.0005 for experienced assistance in a free consultation.
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- Lyric C. I feel like our voice was heard in a sense of what can possibly go wrong in a delivery and finding us answers. I feel with our settlement, we are now in a comfortable position to provide for our son.
- Lyssa L. They are not just people that say “hey let's get you money and let's go” The law firm was very thorough with us. It was awesome. I don't want to cry, because I think about and it's amazing that they were able to help me and that we were able to help my son and get the story out there.
- Jay C. Throughout the process, one thing was clear to us, the ultimate interest of our child was the utmost concern of Max and his team and as parents navigating a situation like that, that was refreshing to know we had them firmly on our side. I highly recommend them.