Chorioamnionitis
The amniotic sac is the fluid-filled membrane around a fetus that protects it and nourishes it. Because your baby wholly relies on the amniotic sac for temperature regulation, lung and musculoskeletal development, and cushioning, it can be dangerous when this fluid becomes infected with bacteria in a condition called chorioamnionitis.
When a mother develops chorioamnionitis, it can cause a baby to arrive prematurely as well as suffer from infections like pneumonia, meningitis, respiratory distress syndrome, and bleeding in the brain. If your doctor’s negligence has allowed your baby to contract these serious bacterial infections, you should contact a Philadelphia birth injury attorney from Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., at 215-238-1130 today to discuss your case.
What Causes Chorioamnionitis?
There are certain risk factors for chorioamnionitis, including young age, prolonged rupture of the membranes, and first pregnancy, among others. The infection itself occurs when bacteria that normally lives in the vagina or rectum moves up into the uterus. These bacteria can be:
- Group B streptococci (GBS)
- E. coli
- Bacterial vaginosis
An infection involving any of these bacteria can be dangerous for both the mother and her child.
Treating Chorioamnionitis
Typically, it is easy for a physician to recognize this condition because it causes a rapid heartbeat in both the mother and her unborn child, as well as a high fever and tender uterus in the pregnant woman. Blood samples and amniotic fluid samples can be tested for the presence of bacteria also.
If doctors determine that you have chorioamnionitis, you will have to take antibiotics to help control the infections. Typically, the best way to rid yourself of this condition is to deliver your baby. In some cases, doctors may have to perform a caesarean section in order to prevent the spread of the bacteria to your baby.
Contact Us
When doctors and delivery nurses do not take proper care of your child, it can result in birth infections that can endanger your new baby’s life. If your baby has suffered a birth infection or other birth injury, consult the Philadelphia birth injury lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., today at 215-238-1130.