New York Group B Streptococcus

Group B Streptococcus is bacteria that can lead to an infection. While Group B Streptococcus is generally not harmful to adults, it can be very harmful to babies. It is not uncommon for pregnant women to carry Group B Streptococcus. The bacteria can be passed to babies during labor and delivery. Doctors test for Group B Streptococcus at 35 to 37 weeks of pregnancy. Group B Streptococcus infections in babies can be life-threatening. Thus, it is critical that doctors take precautions to ensure that babies are protected for Group B Streptococcus. If a baby does get a Group B Streptococcus infection, the baby must be treated immediately. If your baby became seriously ill due to being exposed to Group B Streptococcus and you believe your doctor’s negligence was a contributing factor, contact an experienced New York Group B Streptococcus lawyer who will help ensure that your legal rights and the legal rights of your child are protected.

Group B Streptococcus can pose a serious danger to babies because babies do not have the antibodies to fight a Group B Streptococcus infection. As are result, babies exposed to Group B Streptococcus are at risk for serious conditions such as:

• Brain damage
• Hearing loss
• Vision loss
• Meningitis
• Pneumonia
• Cerebral palsy
• Sepsis

Group B Streptococcus is so dangerous for babies that it can lead to death.

Because of the dangers that Group B Streptococcus pose to babies, all pregnant women should get tested for Group B Streptococcus. If you tested positive for Group B Streptococcus, you doctor should administer antibiotics to you during labor. If you doctor failed to test you for Group B Streptococcus or take other precautions to protect your baby and as a result your baby suffered a serious injury, contact a New York Group B Streptococcus lawyer to discuss the details of your case.

Doctors should also understand the symptoms of Group B Streptococcus in babies. If the mother is carrying the Group B Streptococcus bacteria, even with antibiotics there is a chance that she will pass it to her baby. It is incumbent upon the doctor to recognize the symptoms of Group B Streptococcus in the baby, and treat it to prevent the baby from suffering any of the devastating complications associated with Group B Streptococcus.

In babies, the symptoms of Group B Streptococcus include: erratic heartbeat, poor feeding, fluctuation in body temperature, cyanosis, and breathing problems. If Group B Streptococcus is suspected, the diagnosis can be confirmed by blood or urine tests. If a baby does have Group B Streptococcus or if it is suspected, then the baby should be treated immediately with antibiotics.

As a knowledgeable Group B Streptococcus attorney in New York will explain, complications from Group B Streptococcus are manageable if precautions are taken. It is up to the doctor to test the mother for Group B Streptococcus. If the test is positive, or if at the time of labor and delivery her Group B Streptococcus status is unknown, there are steps that a doctor can take to minimize the risk of infection to the baby. If appropriate precautions are taken and the baby still becomes infected with Group B Streptococcus, it is up to the doctor to immediately treat the baby to minimize the possibility that the baby will suffer life-changing complications such as sepsis or meningitis.

If the doctor fails to take Group B Streptococcus precautions and as a result the baby suffers a serious birth injury, then you have the right to hold the doctor accountable for his or her mistakes by filing a medical malpractice claim.

If your baby suffered a serious injury from a Group B Streptococcus infection, contact a Group B Streptococcus attorney serving New York at the Law Offices of Stephen Bilkis & Associates. Not only do we understand the medical standards related to the screening and treatment of Group B Streptococcus, we have years of experience successfully represented victims seriously injured due to medical negligence. Contact us at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your case. We represent clients in the following locations: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan, Nassau County, Queens, Staten Island, Suffolk County and Westchester County.