Newborn Dies From Group B Streptococcus Infection After Doctor Failed To Administer Antibiotics

Group b strep poses substantial problems when it affects a baby.A newborn with a

a group b strep infection is at considerable risk of severe complications and even death. The infection could abruptly develop into pneumonia, sepsis (an infection that advances across the body), and meningitis. Given that the bacteria may be transmitted by a mother who carried the bacteria even if the mother did not have any symptoms to her newborn during labor and delivery generally doctors agree that proper antibiotics ought to be given during labor if certain conditions are met.

The conditions physicians commonly take into consideration in determining whether to administer antibiotics while the mother is in labor are as follow. The mother's medical history includes the detection of the GBS bacteria during a prior pregnancy. Routine screening between weeks thirty-five and thirty-seven of the pregnancy showed positive for the bacteria. Antibiotics are also appropriate when the expectant mother has an unknown medical history but she presents with any of the known risk factors, for instance, a membrane rupture having occurred over eighteen hours earlier. In case the baby does experience a harm (including blindness, a brain injury, or a seizure disorder) because of the failure by a doctor to administer antibiotics under any of the conditions above or any others contained in the guidelines, there may be medical malpractice liability.

Let's analyze a reported claim in which a baby was born in the hospital after the baby's woman, age 19, went in prior to reaching full term in the pregnancy. It was known by the physician who delivered the baby that the mother had experienced a rupture of her membranes in excess of eighteen hours prior to the start of labor. The doctor, unfortunately, failed to provide correct antibiotics for group b strep. After birth, the infant was not breathing. The medical staff at the hospital ultimately realized that this was caused by a group b streptococcus infection. Even with attempts at treatment by the hospital staff the newborn died 2 days after birth on account of complications from the infection. The law firm that represented the baby's mother was able to report that the case went to trial and the jury came back with a verdict in amount of $457,000.

The case discussed above shows why it is so important for a physician to figure out if an expectant mother carries or is at risk of carrying the group b strep bacteria so that the right determination can be made as to whether antibiotics should be administered during labor. In such situations, not following up with the administration of the appropriate antibiotics during labor or, if necessary, following delivery might lead to liability under a medical malpractice or wrongful death case.

by: Joseph Hernandez

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