When a pregnant woman has an infection, it is paramount that her care providers recognize the symptoms, get an accurate diagnosis, and treat her promptly. In most cases, proper medical attention for an infection will prevent it from causing the fetus any harm during pregnancy or birth. Failure to diagnose or treat a maternal infection or other birth injury types, though, can leave the infant at-risk for many complications.
If an obstetrician, doctor, or other healthcare provider failed to diagnose a maternal infection and your child suffered preventable injuries, illness, or disability, you may be able to hold the doctor or hospital liable. Call the Birth Injury Lawyers Group at 1-800-222-9529 to get connected with an attorney in your state.
Maternal Infections Lawsuits & Injury Cases
If your doctor failed to diagnose, adequately treat, or take proactive steps to protect your newborn from a maternal infection, you may be able to hold them liable by filing a medical malpractice case against them. To prove medical malpractice, you will need to show:
- The doctor or another care provider acted negligently, failing to uphold the standard of care.
- This failure caused your child to suffer birth injuries.
- Your child suffered diagnosed complications and injuries related to a maternal infection.
Proving this type of case typically relies on the help of a medical expert witness, usually another doctor who cares for pregnant women and understands the accepted standard of care in this type of case. Your birth injury attorney can help you identify a medical expert witness for your case.
If you can prove medical malpractice and take legal action before the statute of limitations runs out in your case, you may be eligible to recover damages that include:
- Medical care costs for both mother and baby
- Ongoing or future care costs to address complications from the maternal infection
- Out-of-pocket costs related to your infant’s birth injury
- Pain and suffering damages
- Mental anguish
Maternal Infections Types
Many maternal infections can cause life-threatening complications for the mother and the baby, put the pregnancy at risk, or cause lifelong complications for the baby. Getting a prompt and accurate diagnosis and the necessary care is paramount to prevent serious injury to the mother or baby.
Some dangerous maternal infections include:
- Group B Streptococcus
- Listeriosis
- Toxoplasmosis
- Herpes, hepatitis B, and other sexually transmitted diseases
- HIV and AIDS
- Urinary tract or kidney infections
- Chorioamnionitis
Maternal Infections Causes
In general, infectious diseases with almost any cause can lead to a maternal infection that could affect the baby. This includes:
- Viruses
- Bacteria
- Parasites
- Fungi
Not all illnesses are dangerous, though. Certain infections are known to cause birth defects, endanger the pregnancy, or put the mother’s life in jeopardy. This is also true of some types of infection that are not a significant threat to the mother but could hurt the baby or that are not usually a problem for healthy adults but may put pregnant women at risk.
Maternal infections, if not recognized and treated promptly, can put the developing infant at serious risk for complications and congenital disabilities. This may include hearing or vision loss, brain damage, cerebral palsy, intrauterine growth restriction, and stillbirth or miscarriage.
If your infant suffered through complications or was born with congenital disabilities because a doctor or other care provider mismanaged a maternal infection, you may be eligible to pursue compensation through a birth injury medical malpractice lawsuit. Contact a birth injury lawyer for maternal infections in your state at the Birth Injury Lawyers Group. You can call today at 1-844-908-0346 or fill out the contact form to get started.
For a free legal consultation, call 1-800-263-6622
SOME MATERNAL INFECTIONS CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURIES TO THE BABY
Any maternal infection during pregnancy can have implications for the baby, but some conditions pose a serious risk to the gestating fetus that doctors routinely screen for them as a normal part of prenatal care. Failure to diagnose one of these infections or take action to protect the baby may be grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Some of the most serious infections during pregnancy include:
- HIV
- Rubella, measles
- Chickenpox (varicella zoster virus (VZV))
- Herpes (herpes simplex virus (HSV))
- Some types of hepatitis
- Listeria
If the mother has one of these infections or another type of serious infection, it is imperative to get an accurate diagnosis and take steps to protect the baby. This may include medication, interventions during delivery, or immediate delivery.
Call the Birth Injury Lawyers Group at 1-844-908-0346 or fill out the contact form to speak with a birth injury lawyer for maternal infections in your state.
A BIRTH INJURY ATTORNEY IN YOUR STATE WILL REVIEW YOUR CASE FOR FREE
A doctor can cause birth injuries related to maternal infection in several ways, including:
- Failing to diagnose the infection
- Failing to treat the infection properly
- Failing to protect the child from the infection
If you believe your doctor or another medical care provider acted negligently, mismanaging a maternal infection and failing to prevent your child’s birth injury, you may be eligible to pursue compensation. A medical malpractice attorney who handles birth injury cases in your state can review your case for free and help you take legal action.
Recovering compensation in a birth injury case means receiving a payout for the damages your child and your family suffered, including your expenses and losses related to their birth, condition, and treatment. Some common types of recoverable damages include:
- Past and future medical treatment costs
- Ongoing treatment costs
- Related past and future expenses
- Pain and suffering damages
- Mental anguish
Each state has unique laws for how you navigate the process of filing and pursuing a birth injury case. There may be deadlines that apply in your case and steps you must take before you can file a medical malpractice lawsuit. Your attorney will be able to explain this in detail, but it is important to reach out as early as possible.
Maternal Infections Symptoms
The symptoms of a dangerous maternal infection will vary depending on the type of infection. If you experience general feelings of malaise during pregnancy, have a fever, or have other signs of illness, contact your doctor right away.
Once the child is born, the symptoms they exhibit may vary, as well. If you knew about the infection, ensure the baby’s healthcare team knows. This will allow them to watch for specific symptoms or perform the right tests.
Maternal Infections Diagnosis and Treatment
How a maternal infection gets diagnosed and treated depends on the mother’s symptoms. As a part of routine prenatal care, doctors test for some common infections and immunity to others. Pregnant women may need to get vaccines if they lack immunity to some dangerous infections, such as rubella.
If the mother has symptoms, the doctors may perform a culture, blood test, or other tests to confirm a diagnosis and treat the infection.
When a baby is born following a maternal infection, its care providers should run tests or perform exams to rule out complications of that specific infection. Treatment for complications would depend on the specific needs of the newborn.
The Facts and Dangers of Maternal Infection
Maternal infections can pose serious dangers to babies as they grow and develop in the mother’s womb. Some can cause serious birth defects and lifelong impairments, while others may cause premature birth, miscarriage, or stillbirth.
If you believe an undiagnosed or untreated maternal infection played a role in your child’s birth injuries, the Birth Injury Lawyers Group can help you recover compensation.
For a free legal consultation, call 1-800-263-6622
MATERNAL INFECTIONS CAN AFFECT THE DEVELOPING BABY
Pregnant women often experience an increase in bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections. Changes to the immune system during pregnancy lower women’s’ overall immunity, making them more susceptible to many types of infections, from the common cold to chickenpox to sexually transmitted diseases.
Some infections are very serious for pregnant women, endangering their health. Most, however, put the growing fetus in danger. They can affect fetal development, causing:
- Loss of the pregnancy
- Preterm birth
- Fetal death
- Birth injuries including physical and intellectual disabilities
Because of the dangers of some types of infections, prenatal care often includes a variety of efforts to catch any infection and stop it in its tracks. This may include:
- Screening tests
- Vaccinations, if necessary
- Prophylactic antibiotics during labor and delivery
- Scheduled cesarean (c-section) delivery
In most cases, modern medicine and the protocols in place to protect newborns from maternal infections accomplish the goal of fighting infection. When doctors follow the proper steps to diagnose and treat a condition or to prevent infection to spread to the infant during delivery, the child can have a positive outcome despite their mother’s infection.
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SOME INFECTIONS CAN HARM THE BABY
Some of the infections that affect pregnancy and may cause serious injuries, birth defects, or other problems for the baby include:
- Chlamydia: Premature birth, eye infections, lung infections
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV): Hearing loss, vision loss, epilepsy, intellectual disabilities
- Gonorrhea: If left untreated, can result in miscarriage, premature birth, low birth weight, gonorrhea infection in the infant after birth, eye infections, vision loss
- Group B Streptococcus (GBS): Treating the mother with antibiotics for this common infection can prevent a life-threatening infection in the newborn
- Genital Herpes: Brain damage, blindness, organ damage, the spread of the virus to the newborn, life-threatening complications
- Listeria: Pregnancy loss, premature birth, stillbirth, infection in the newborn
- Rubella (German Measles): Birth defects, miscarriage, premature delivery, but preventable with a vaccine
- Syphilis: Premature birth, stillbirth, death in the first days of life, problems with hearing, vision, brain development, heart defects, and more
- Toxoplasmosis: Intellectual disabilities, blindness. Avoidable by taking precautions when gardening or handling cat litter or feces.
- Zika: Pregnancy loss, pregnancy complications, serious birth defects
Other potentially dangerous infections may pass on to the baby during pregnancy or delivery. These include:
- Hepatitis B virus (HBV)
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV)
- HIV/AIDS
- Human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Trichomoniasis
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YOU MAY BE ABLE TO PURSUE COMPENSATION
Because so many maternal infections can cause birth injuries and put a developing baby in danger, there is no one right way to prove this type of case. In general, your attorney will need to demonstrate:
- The appropriate standard of care that was expected
- Your medical team exhibited negligence and violated that standard
- There is a link between your infection and the child’s birth injury
- Another similar medical professional in a similar situation would have made a different decision
There are several ways that a doctor or another medical care provider could play a role in a newborn’s birth injury that occurred because of maternal infection. This may include failure to:
- Screen the mother for all standard conditions
- Diagnose the mother with the symptomatic condition
- Warn the mother of the risk to her child
- Offer vaccines or other prevention measures for preventable infections
- Treat infections in a timely manner
- Take steps to prevent infection from spreading to the infant
Depending on the facts of your case, the doctor, another medical care provider, the clinic, or another party may be liable. Your attorney will help you identify all potentially liable parties and rule out those who did not play a role.
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A BIRTH INJURY ATTORNEY CAN HELP YOU BUILD YOUR CASE
Proving a birth injury case based on a maternal infection can be difficult. Working with an attorney who knows how to navigate the medical malpractice claims process in your state is key in reducing your stress and feeling confident about the outcome of your case.
Every state has unique laws about medical malpractice cases. You may be required to consider:
- The evidence necessary to pursue a case against a doctor, another medical care provider, or a hospital
- The role of medical expert witnesses
- The time limits on taking legal action and the possibility of tolling the statute of limitations because the victim is an infant
Your attorney can explain your legal options and the steps your state will require you to go through to pursue compensation. They can represent you throughout this process and fight for the payout you need to cover medical bills, related expenses, and other losses.
Maternal Infections Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I have maternal infections?
If you are a pregnant woman and have any signs of illness, you should reach out to your doctor as soon as possible. If you had an infection while pregnant, your child may exhibit certain symptoms related to the complications possible from that infection.
Can maternal infections be fatal?
If left untreated, some maternal infections can put the baby’s or the mother’s life at risk. This is why it is vital to get a prompt and accurate diagnosis and care for any illness during pregnancy.
Who is liable for maternal infections?
A mother’s prenatal healthcare provider may be liable for birth injuries related to a maternal infection if:
- They fail to recognize a maternal infection
- Misdiagnose the condition
- Fail to treat the illness adequately
- Fail to take precautions to protect the infant from a maternal infection
Depending on the facts of the case, the clinic, hospital, or other parties may be liable, as well. Your attorney can help you identify the liable parties after they review the facts of your case, and work towards a fair settlement recovery in a birth injury claim.
What is the statute of limitations for maternal infections?
If your child suffered birth injuries caused by a maternal infection, the limits on how long you have to file a medical malpractice case depend on the laws in your state. Several laws work together to set this type of deadline. Your attorney will explain your state’s:
- Statute of limitations
- Any tolling for minor victims of malpractice
- Statute of repose
Maternal Infections Glossary Terms
- What is Postpartum Infection? Postpartum infections are infections that develop after the baby’s delivery, often in the uterus.
- What is Listeriosis? Listeriosis is a dangerous maternal infection caused by Listeria monocytogenes. Pregnant women and newborns are at particularly high risk. Most people get listeriosis from eating contaminated foods.
- What is Group B Streptococcus? Group B streptococcus is a common bacterium, but it can pose serious hazards to newborns because it lives in the lower gastrointestinal and genital tracts. Women with group B strep require antibiotics to protect their newborns.
Talk to a Birth Injury Lawyer About Maternal Infection Injuries
If your doctor failed to diagnose a maternal infection and your child suffered complications, you may be eligible to pursue damages for your family. The Birth Injury Lawyers Group is here to help. Call 1-800-222-9529 today to connect with a birth injury attorney in your state.