Cases involving missed or delayed fetal abnormalities often turn on complex questions of antenatal diagnosis, referral, counselling, and informed decision-making. For clinical negligence solicitors, these claims require a clear understanding of what should reasonably have been detected, what further investigations or specialist input were indicated, and how information should have been communicated to parents.

Disputes frequently arise around the interpretation of screening results and fetal imaging, the timing of referral to fetal medicine specialists, and whether parents were given sufficient information to make informed choices about the pregnancy. Small differences in the clinical evidence can materially affect allegations of breach, causation, and outcome.

You will gain a practical understanding of where these cases commonly unravel, including disputes over screening interpretation, fetal imaging, referral pathways, parental counselling, and the evidence required to establish whether a different clinical course would have changed the outcome.

This session will help you to:

• Understand the role of antenatal screening, imaging, and specialist fetal medicine assessment in detecting fetal abnormalities
• Identify common points at which missed or delayed diagnosis allegations arise
• Assess the importance of referral pathways and specialist input in suspected fetal abnormality cases
• Improve your analysis of counselling, communication, and informed decision-making evidence
• Strengthen breach and causation arguments by linking clinical decision-making to the alleged outcome
• Appreciate how diagnostic delay, parental choice, and pregnancy outcome can affect liability and quantum