Most parents in North Carolina awaiting the arrival of a new baby spend time thinking about their child’s future. They likely never consider the possibility that their child could be harmed by the very people charged with their care. Sadly, birth injuries happen all too often and there are times when it may be appropriate to hold medical professionals accountable for them. One such case involves a baby who has suffered severe brain damage after contracting an infection at birth that his parents say should have been prevented.
The parents say that when the mother was around 35 weeks pregnant, she had a screening for an infection caused by Group B streptococcus. The very next day, her water broke and she was instructed to go to the hospital. She claims she asked about the results of her GBS test but no one gave her any results. The baby was born healthy despite being early, so the parents say, the very next day. They say that they expected that they would be discharged a short time later.
Unfortunately, the baby had to be taken to the neonatal intensive care unit for treatment of respiratory distress. He received a diagnosis of GBS meningitis, said to be caused by GBS that the mother had allegedly been tested for. The baby boy had to be put on a ventilator and though it was eventually removed, his parents say he suffered permanent brain damage.
The parents have since filed a medical malpractice suit against the hospital. A nurse allegedly told the parents that the mother’s GBS test results came back positive around six hours before the baby’s birth. The baby’s parents say that he will require lifelong care and that his prognosis remains uncertain.
Their lawsuit echoes the grim realities that many parents face after birth injuries occur. Families in North Carolina who feel that their newborns’ injuries are the result of negligent medical treatment may want to follow a similar course of action. An attorney with experience in litigating these types of claims can serve as a valuable guide in uncertain times.