Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a serious medical condition which occurs during pregnancy or postpartum. If untreated, it can lead to serious complications for the mother or baby and can even be fatal. Typically, preeclampsia develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy, but it can also begin up to four to six weeks following delivery. Both preeclampsia and postpartum preeclampsia have classic symptoms, so proper prenatal and postpartum care by your doctor is critical. Below are the most common symptoms:

• High blood pressure
• Proteinuria (Excessive protein in the urine)
• Sudden weight gain
• Excessive swelling especially of the hands, face or around the eyes
• Nausea or vomiting
• Upper abdominal pain — typically under the rib cage
• Headaches
• Changes in vision
• Mental confusion
• Dizziness
• Decreased urine output

Certain patients are at greater risk of developing preeclampsia so doctors should exercise increased vigilance for the following patients:

• Women who are pregnant for the first time
• Women who are carrying multiple babies
• Women who are obese
• Women under 20 and over 40 years of age
• Women with diabetes or gestational diabetes
• Women with certain medical conditions such as kidney disease, lupus, migraine headaches, chronic high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.

If the medical staff fails to detect and treat preeclampsia, the condition can result in reduced blood flow to the placenta which places the baby at risk of preterm birth, low birth weight and breathing problems. It can also cause placental abruption, HELLP syndrome, seizures and death. The failure to detect and treat postpartum preeclampsia can result in the mother suffering a stroke or developing HELLP syndrome, thromboembolism (a clot in the blood vessel), pulmonary edema, seizures, permanent damage to the brain, kidneys and liver and death.

The failure to detect and treat preeclampsia and postpartum preeclampsia can be medical malpractice. If you or your baby has been injured as a result of substandard medical care, you are entitled to receive compensation for your injuries. For more than 30 years, the medical malpractice attorneys at The Law Offices of John Day, P.C. have fought for the rights of patients and their families. John Day is certified in the field of Medical Malpractice by the the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys. Because of his substantial experience and esteemed reputation, John has repeatedly been asked to testify before the State Legislature on changes to Tennessee’s medical malpractice laws. Best Lawyers has recognized John in the area of medical malpractice law every single year since 2007 and has twice named John the Medical Malpractice Lawyer of the Year for Nashville. And so we can assist with your medical issues and questions, we have a nurse on our staff full-time.

We handle our medical malpractice cases on a contingency basis so we do not get paid unless we recover money for you. Unlike a lot of lawyers, we advance all case expenses interest-free so we never ask our clients to assume costly litigation loans. To learn more about fees and how we handle case expenses, click here. We invite you to review some of our birth injury case results and our client testimonials. Then, if you would like to discuss a potential claim, we offer a free consultation that is without obligation. To get started, please contact us online or call us at:

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• Preeclampsia