Giving birth to a child ought to be a miraculous moment; unfortunately, it can instantaneously become a nightmare if a maternal infection threatens the baby or the mother. A “maternal infection” is an exposure to a serious infection that can be passed in utero to an unborn child. Maternal infections can kill either the child or mother and can result in congenital disabilities. As a personal injury attorney, I have learned the minutiae and nuances maternal infection medical malpractice law. The fact of the matter is that hospitals are often at fault for failing to prevent infections that can have life-altering and even deadly consequences. If you or a loved one contracted an infection while giving birth and have suffered as a result, I will meticulously examine your case and attain compensation for medical errors that resulted in your maternal infection.
If you or a loved one was injured or killed as a result of maternal infection, you will need to have experienced counsel help you attain your fair share of compensation for your injury and recovery. Barrett Law has the experience to help you—contact us now at (800) 707-9577.
Maternal Infections
Maternal infections commonly cause congenital disabilities and injuries. Basically, the mother contracts the infection and passes it on to the unborn child. Common infections include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA, hepatitis B, toxoplasmosis, urinary tract infections, strep, HIV or AIDS, rubella, and others. These infections are widely present in many hospitals and are transferred from patient to patient by negligent handling of medical devices, failing to properly sterilize medical devices, and inadequate cleaning and sterilization protocols. Once the mother is exposed, the infection spreads to her unborn child through the uterus and placenta or exposure when the child passes through the birth canal. Tragically, these infections sometimes result in the death of the child through miscarriage or fatal congenital disabilities. Even when they are not deadly, these infections can cause serious, life-long problems for the child, including blindness, learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, and challenges with motor skills and hearing.
Contracting a maternal infection, while unfortunate, does not necessarily mean that the medical facility or staff were negligent. These infections exist all around us, and a mother can contract them from many places. However, a medical center may expose the mother to these infections unnecessarily. To be proven negligent, the medical facility must fail to meet a reasonable standard of care to the mother and child. To show that the medical facility has been negligent, a personal injury attorney often has to show that the hospital lacked proper sterilization and device-handling protocols and failed to make changes to address this problem through training and increased scrutiny of practices. Alternatively, if the medical center or hospital knew that the mother had an infection and failed to treat the infection or alter the birth plan in a way that prevented its spread to the child, they may be negligent for that failure as well.
What Should You Do If You or a Loved One Has Been Injured in a Hospital Setting?
If you or a loved one was injured in a hospital by a maternal infection or any other type of medical negligence, you should seek medical attention immediately and contact an experienced personal injury attorney. Inexperienced counsel may lead you down a dead end where you receive no compensation for the harm you experienced or the long-term harm to your child. Instead, let experienced counsel take care of preserving medical records, attaining expert opinions, reviewing evidence, and dealing with the defendant’s attorneys while you grieve and heal.
Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi personal injury law firm, to represent you if you have suffered a serious injury. Contact us now at (800) 707-9577.