Infections at Birth
Infections at birth are most often referred to as neonatal infections. The neonatal period is defined as the first 28 days (or month) of life. Most infections at birth happen as the baby is in the mother’s birth canal.
During the neonatal period, babies are particularly susceptible to infection because their immune systems have not been exposed to various bacteria, viruses or other pathogens. Infection during the neonatal period can cause serious disease leading to life-long disability or even death. The two most serious infections at birth are meningitis and sepsis. Some infants develop both sepsis and meningitis. In fact, about one third of the infants with sepsis develop meningitis. Sepsis and meningitis can be caused by a number of different bacteria, the most common of which are E. coli, Group B Streptococcus, and Listeria.
Research into the causes of neonatal infections has led to the implementation of guidelines for the assessment and treatment of pregnant mothers in the past 2 decades. The result has been that the incidence of neonatal infection has dropped dramatically in the general population in the United States. Nevertheless, certain populations continue to experience higher-than-average incidence rates, likely due to standard of care issues.
References:
- http://www.cs.nsw.gov.au/rpa/neonatal/html/newprot/earlyinf.htmAli, Z. (2004) Neonatal group B streptococcal infection at the Mount Hope Women’s Hospital, Trinidad. Child: Care, Health and Development 3(1):1-3.
- Vanderpool, N.A. and J.B. Richmond (1990) Child health in the United States: Prospects for the 1990s. Annual Review of Public Health 11:185-205.
Fitzgerald & Fitzgerald has successfully handled hundreds of birth injury malpractice cases, including cases involving neonatal infections. If you would like a free consultation regarding your infant’s injuries, please contact Fitzgerald & Fitzgerald. You may call toll-free at 1-800-323-9900 or submit the firm’s online contact form.
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