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The period immediately following birth is a dangerous one and there are many things that can go wrong and cause injury to a newborn, especially if the hospital staff fails to monitor the child properly. Infections are common in infants due to their weak immune systems and special consideration must be taken to ensure that the delivery and post-delivery environments are kept clean and free of contaminates that can cause an infection. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers represents clients who have been victims of medical malpractice that has resulted in undue harm to children during or after birth and our personal injury lawyers are available to fight on your behalf to recover the compensation that you are entitled to.
Causes of Neonatal and Post-Natal Infections
Infants are born with weakened immune systems— which makes it instrumental to take every measure possible to prevent and detect an infection early on before it becomes the cause of severe complications. Common causes of infection include the following.
- An unclean delivery environment.
- Contaminated equipment used during or after delivery.
- Inadequate or infrequent measures taken to keep the newborn clean.
- Lack of proper testing and evaluation for infection or accompanying symptoms.
When not properly treated, infections can cause serious long term harm and affect the development of the child. If an infection results in a condition that permanently changes the child’s quality of life, the family deserves to be compensated for the cost of caring for the child’s special needs over his or her lifetime.
Types of Infections
While measures are constantly being taken to make hospital environments sanitary, it is an unfortunate reality that hospitals are known to be home to some of the strongest strains of bacteria and fungus due to their development of a resistance to antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals. Common infections found in newborns include the following.
- Streptococcus, otherwise known as strep B.
- E. Coli
- Meningitis
- A fungal infection known as Candidiasis
- Conjunctivitis— otherwise known as pink eye
- Sepsis— an infection of the blood
Untreated infections can cause brain damage, developmental problems or death and it is important that infants are closely monitored for signs of an infection. Early treatment is usually able to prevent severe complications that arise from these infections and it is the lack of proper monitoring or a quick response that can make a difference for the worse. Failure to detect or treat an infection a newborn or in utero may be considered an act of negligence or medical malpractice if it is determined that the hospital staff did not take proper measures to prevent or treat the condition.
If your child suffers from a condition that was brought about by an untreated infection, you may be entitled to compensation to cover his or her medical care and pain and suffering. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers specialize in birth injury malpractice cases and have successfully represented clients just like you. Contact us today for a free consultation so that we can evaluate your case and let you know more about your legal rights.
