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Utah Birth Injury Law Firm
Every expectant mother knows that anything they put into their body can affect their unborn child. What may not be so widely known is the high risk of maternal infections that can pass from the mother to the baby during pregnancy or childbirth. These infections, if left undetected by medical professionals, can pass through the mother’s blood, the placenta, or the birth canal, and affect the infant. While the mother may not have any adverse reactions from the infections, the baby can suffer serious injuries that can result in long-term or permanent disabilities and health issues.
The Utah birth injury law firm of Rasmussen & Miner is proud to represent families whose babies suffered birth injuries from undiagnosed maternal infections. Our Utah birth injury law firm understands how devastating these injuries can be and how costly associated medical care can be, both in the immediate wake of the injury and well into the future. Here are some of the most common maternal infections that lead to birth injuries:
Chickenpox: While most people think of chickenpox as a rite of passage of childhood that we all get at some point or another, chickenpox in a child under one year old can be dangerous. Some of the health issues an infant can suffer if they catch chickenpox from their mother includes vision problems, pneumonia, developmental delays, cognitive disabilities, scarring, and more.
Chorioamnionitis: This condition is also referred to as intra-amniotic infection because it is an inflammation or infection of the fetal membranes. Some of the birth injuries that an infant can suffer from this infection include premature rupture of membranes, premature birth, sepsis, meningitis, and villitis.
Group B Streptococcus (GBS): This infection shows up in approximately 25 percent of expectant mothers. This is a common bacteria that is present in the intestines and genital tract and needs to be treated immediately. An infant exposed to GBS can suffer brain damage, cerebral palsy, seizures, meningitis, premature birth, sepsis, developmental disabilities, and intellectual disabilities.
Hepatitis B Virus: Babies who contract Hepatitis B virus from their mother during delivery have a 90 percent chance of developing liver damage, liver cancer, and other long-term medical issues.
Rubella aka German Measles: If a baby contracts German Measles, they can suffer all kinds of dangerous medical problems. This includes hearing and vision problems, growth restriction in the uterus, congenital heart disease, inflammation of the brain, and diabetes. Rubella can also result in the miscarriage or stillbirth of the child.
Syphilis: Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that can be transferred from mother to infant during pregnancy or during delivery. If the baby develops the disease, health problems include fetal distress, vision loss, hearing loss, neurological issues, low birth weight, and teeth malformations. There is also a high risk of either stillbirth or neonatal death.
Toxoplasmosis: This infection is caused by a parasite that is contracted by eating undercooked meat or from being exposed to cat feces. This is why a pregnant woman should never handle a cat’s litter box while pregnant. The infection puts the baby at risk for blindness, hearing loss, and intellectual disabilities.
Call Our Office for Help
If your baby has suffered a birth injury because your doctor failed to diagnose a maternal infection, contact a birth injury lawyer Salt Lake City, UT resident trust to find out how we can help your family get the financial justice you and your baby deserve. Know that meeting with our Utah birth injury law firm is a no-obligation, risk-free, and confidential process.