Baby Endures Lifelong Respiratory Injury From GBS
In a documented lawsuit, a doctor delivered an expecting mother’s baby in the thirty-sixth week of the woman’s pregnancy. Full term is reported to be around 40 weeks. The newborn was therefore somewhat premature. A premature birth is a known risk factor for the child acquiring an infection from the group b strep bacteria. Doctors normally advise that antibiotics be given while the mother is in in labor so as to minimize the chance of infection to the baby. Regrettably, this physician failed to observe this recommendation. Nor did the physician provide antibiotics to the newborn after birth. The newborn developed a severe respiratory infection. Consequently, the newborn needed to remain in the hospital for a number of months. The baby suffered lifelong respiratory damage. The law firm that handled this case reported that the matter settled for $1,600,000.