In February Baxter recalled thousands of bottles of the blood thinner drug heparin. The recall was issued after some of the drugs were linked to four deaths and countless allergic reactions. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is inspecting the Baxter facility in New Jersey, a Scientific Protein Laboratories facility in Wisconsin, and a factory in Changzhou, China for signs of contamination. There is a lot of suspicion focused on the Chinese factory, which is being inspected both independently and jointly with the United States by the Chinese State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA). Apparently, the factory in Changzhou was not inspected by the FDA because of a mix-up with names and was not inspected by the SFDA because it is currently classified as a chemical manufacturer, not pharmaceutical.
          Though the SFDA is cooperating with the United States’ inquiry into the contamination, the cause of the bad reactions has still not been determined.

Preeclampsia is pregnancy-associated hypertension. Since it is a condition caused by carrying a baby, delivering the baby is the only cure. It effects up to 8 percent of all pregnant women in their second or third trimesters in the United States.

If preeclampsia is not caught early through regular prenatal visits, the mother is at serious risk of fatality.

Symptoms of preeclampsia include:

• Severe headaches, most often occurring in the back of the head 
• Swelling of the hands and face 
• Pain in the upper abdomen 
• Nausea 
• Sudden weight gain 
• Blood pressure higher than 140 over 90

Since some of the above symptoms can occur during normal pregnancies, it is important to have a doctor monitoring the pregnant woman during regular office visits. A doctor will be able to determine if a pregnant woman is at risk for preeclampsia through testing blood pressure and looking for proteins in urine samples.

Preeclampsia was previously referred to as toxemia. Bed rest, which lowers blood pressure and increases the flow of blood to the placenta, can often manage preeclampsia.

If properly treated, pregnant women with preeclampsia can deliver their babies without major side effects. If preeclampsia is untreated, it can lead to eclampsia, which can cause seizers and strokes.

Doctors say that pregnant women, who are older or younger, are at higher risk for preeclampsia. Women who are pregnant for the first time, pregnant with multiples, have a history of high-blood pressure, have a history of diabetes or obese are also at a high risk for preeclampsia. There is currently no known cause of preeclampsia.

If your child, or the child of a loved one, has suffered birth defects or birth trauma as a result from improper guidance or diagnosis by their doctor, contact a preeclampsia attorney at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP at 1-800-460-0606. An experienced birth trauma lawyer will be able to evaluate if you are eligible to seek compensation.

Cerebral Palsy may be caused by professional neglect during prenatal care or childbirth.  It’s causes may include premature birth, birth trauma, and neonatal asphyxia (lack of oxygen). If your child has been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, call the birth trauma attorneys at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP at 1-800-460-0606 right away so they can review your situation and provide professional insight.