Group B Strep Infections in Newborns

Newborns’ immune systems are mostly undeveloped at the time of birth, leaving them very susceptible to illness. Thus, it is important for doctors and hospital staff to take the proper precautions to protect newborns. This includes keeping all delivery and maternity areas as clean as possible, using only sterilized instruments, and following proper techniques regarding screening for illnesses such as group B strep, or GBS.

Group B Strep: Early- and Late-Onset

Since 25% of women in the United States are carriers of the bacteria that causes GBS, and can therefore potentially pass it to the baby as he or she is born, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that mothers be checked for this bacteria in the weeks before birth. If a woman is found to be a carrier, or if she is at high risk of infection during delivery, she usually needs intravenous antibiotics in order to make sure that the baby does not get sick.

In cases when women are improperly treated for GBS, or if proper sterilization measures are not followed in the hospital, the baby could develop a serious GBS infection. Group B strep is broken down into two main categories:

• Early-onset – these infections show symptoms almost immediately following the birth, including pneumonia, sepsis, and sometimes meningitis. Preventative antibiotics are typically more effective at curbing cases of early-onset group B strep.

• Late-onset – these infections can be caused by the same errors during delivery, but the infection may show up until months following the birth. These cases are more likely to include meningitis as a symptom.

This is a very serious illness that can threaten the life of the baby, so it is important that doctors thoroughly check for the presence of GBS and work to prevent its transmission to the child.

Contact Us

Call the Philadelphia birth infections attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., at 215-238-1130 if your baby suffered a group B strep infection due to the negligence of a doctor or the irresponsibility of hospital staff. You may be entitled to financial compensation for your family’s suffering.