Diabetes Awareness Week 2025: A Legal Perspective on Maternity Care and Clinical Negligence
As we mark Diabetes Awareness Week (9–15 June 2025), we reflect on the critical importance of maternity safety and clinical accountability—areas where diabetes in pregnancy plays a significant role.
At Freeths, we are here to support families through some of the most difficult and emotional experiences they may ever face. All too often, we see how undiagnosed or poorly managed diabetes during pregnancy can lead to outcomes that are not only distressing but, in many cases, preventable.
Diabetes in Pregnancy: A High-Risk Scenario
Pregnancy places unique demands on the body, and for women with pre-existing diabetes or those who develop gestational diabetes, the risks to both mother and baby increase significantly. These risks are well recognised in clinical practice and include:
- Stillbirth
- Macrosomia (a larger-than-average baby, increasing the risk of birth trauma
- Neonatal hypoglycaemia
- Emergency caesarean sections
- Preterm birth and complications
When these risks are not properly managed, the consequences can be devastating. We have supported families through claims where:
- Gestational diabetes was missed entirely, despite clear risk factors.
- Blood sugar levels were not adequately monitored during pregnancy or labour.
- Fetal growth scans were delayed or not performed, leading to undetected complications.
- Postnatal care failed to identify neonatal hypoglycaemia, resulting in long-term injury.
In some of these cases, the outcome was the loss of a baby. In others, the child survived but with life-altering injuries that could have been prevented with timely, appropriate care.
The Legal Perspective: Seeking Answers, Securing Change
As clinical negligence solicitors, our role is to investigate whether the standard of care provided fell below what is reasonably expected—and whether that failure caused harm. We work with independent medical experts to understand what went wrong and why, and we support families in seeking:
- Answers to the questions they’ve carried since birth or injury
- Compensation to help with therapy, care, and future planning
- Accountability from healthcare providers
- Systemic change to prevent similar harm to others
We understand that no legal process can undo the pain of losing a child or watching them suffer. But it can offer a path forward—and a way to ensure that lessons are learned, and care is improved for others.
A Shared Commitment to Safer Maternity Care
Diabetes Awareness Week is a powerful reminder that routine checks and proactive care save lives. It is also a call to action for healthcare providers to ensure that every pregnant woman—especially those with complex needs—receives the care, attention, and respect she deserves.
At Freeths, we are committed to holding the NHS and private healthcare providers to account when that duty of care is breached. We work closely with medical experts to build strong, evidence-based claims and support our clients with compassion and clarity throughout the legal process.
If you or a loved one has experienced substandard maternity care related to diabetes, our specialist clinical negligence team is here to help. We offer free initial consultations and work on a no win, no fee basis.
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The content of this page is a summary of the law in force at the date of publication and is not exhaustive, nor does it contain definitive advice. Specialist legal advice should be sought in relation to any queries that may arise.
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