Memphis Birth Injury Attorneys Discuss Birth Injuries Caused by Prenatal Infections
Regular prenatal care is essential to ensuring the health of both mother and child throughout a pregnancy. Parents-to-be rely on their prenatal care providers to perform the proper care during each stage of pregnancy. There are many different things that prenatal care providers do during the course of a pregnancy, including checking for the presence of various types of infections.
There are two types of infections which, if left untreated, can have serious consequences for the child. One of these infections is GBS, or Group B Streptococcal Septicemia, and the other is Chorioamnionitis, or the infection of the placenta. Both of these infections are tested for as part of routine prenatal care, and both can and should be treated prior to delivery in order to reduce the risks of injury or death to the baby.
When Chorioamnionitis goes untreated, the baby is at risk for contracting the infection at birth. Fortunately, prenatal testing for the infection and treatment prior to delivery with antibiotics in cases where the infection has been detected can prevent transmission of the infection to the baby. Unfortunately, there are some cases of Chorioamnionitis that go undetected. When a baby gets the infection, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, and other birth injuries can occur.
Testing for GBS is part of a standard prenatal care routine. As is the case with Chorioamnionitis, antibiotics are prescribed to the mother prior to delivery. Babies who are born to mothers who have GBS are closely monitored after they are born, as some babies who become infected with GBS begin to display symptoms within the first day of life. When a baby shows signs of GBS infection shortly after birth, they are said to have early-onset GBS disease. This disease can cause blood infections, meningitis, and pneumonia, and it can be fatal in some cases. While the disease is treatable, some babies do develop long-term health issues as a result of having been infected, including developmental disabilities, vision loss, hearing loss, and even cerebral palsy. GBS can also manifest later on, as well. Late-onset GBS disease usually appears before the baby is three months old, and carries same risk of long-term health effects as early-onset GBS disease.
If prenatal care professionals failed to detect and treat Chorioamnionitis or GBS before your baby was born and your baby became infected, you may be able to recover for birth injuries that your baby has suffered as the result of their infection. The knowledgeable and experienced Memphis Birth Injury Attorneys at Bailey & Greer, PLLC would like to learn more about your birth injury case. We can explain your options, answer any questions that you may have, and help you decide how to proceed with your birth injury case. We can help you to pursue the recovery that your family deserves so that you can give your child the care that they need. To learn more, please call us today, at 901-680-9777 to schedule an initial consultation. At Bailey & Greer, PLLC, we are small enough to care, big enough to fight, and experienced enough to win.
Since graduating magna cum laude in 2005 from the University of Memphis School of Law, Thomas has helped make a difference in the lives of victims of serious personal injury, wrongful death, and professional negligence. Thomas has extensive trial experience in both state and federal court. Among other victories in the courtroom, Thomas obtained several impressive jury verdicts and settlements
Read more about Thomas R. Greer