Minnesota Neonatal Sepsis Lawyer
Sepsis is an extremely dangerous condition that is the result of an infection being in the blood. Sepsis is always an extremely dangerous condition but when newborns suffer from it, the risks are even greater. When thinking about sepsis, people do not think of the newborns who suffer from it. Unfortunately, neonatal sepsis is much more common than people think. Sepsis always begins with an infection in the body. Infections that are not managed and treated properly, sepsis is the result and septic shock can result, which is a life-threatening condition for anyone.
Newborns are extremely delicate and fragile and so, they are more likely to suffer a wrongful death after developing sepsis. Neonatal sepsis is often the result of negligent healthcare professionals who do not provide the proper standard of care. If your child developed neonatal sepsis, our Minnesota neonatal sepsis lawyer can help you claim the full financial compensation you are entitled to.
How Does Neonatal Sepsis Occur?
Newborn infants can acquire neonatal sepsis in one of two ways. These are known as vertical and horizontal transmission. Vertical transmission occurs when a mother passes the infection to their child shortly before the birthing process, or during it. Horizontal transmission occurs when a newborn infant acquires an infection sometimes after their birth. These infections are passed to babies by caregivers, healthcare workers, and even the surrounding environment.
Why is Neonatal Sepsis So Dangerous?
Neonatal sepsis is extremely dangerous for newborn babies. Newborns cannot fight off infections as well as an adult, or even a child who is older in age. Newborn infants are much more likely to suffer the serious and dangerous consequences of sepsis. The damage these complications cause cannot be reversed. Some of the biggest threats sepsis poses for infants include:
- Septic shock
- Difficulty feeding
- Respiratory distress
- Meningitis
- Bradycardia
- Encephalitis
- Cerebral palsy
- Apnea
- Epilepsy
- Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy
In the most tragic cases, an infant can suffer wrongful death after acquiring neonatal sepsis.
How to Determine if Neonatal Sepsis is a Result of Medical Malpractice
When neonatal sepsis is a result of negligent healthcare professionals, it is a case of medical malpractice. It is not always easy to identify medical malpractice. Some of the most common examples that lead to neonatal sepsis are as follows:
- Failing to treat maternal infections prior to the birthing process
- Failing to test for some types of infections, such as Group B Streptococcus prior to delivery
- Failing to identify and treat an infection in an infant, causing it to escalate into sepsis
- Failing to order a C-section for a woman when her water broke at least six hours before
- Failing to use sterilized equipment before a C-section
- Failing to follow the proper standard of care when handling newborns, such as hand washing
The above are sadly just a few common examples of medical malpractice. A Minnesota birth injury lawyer can review the facts of a case to determine if malpractice occurred.
Our Birth Injury Lawyer in Minnesota Can Help with Your Claim
If your child has suffered from neonatal sepsis, our Minnesota birth injury lawyer will help you make things right. At Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC, our seasoned attorneys are passionate about helping families, and we want to help yours, too. Call us today or contact us online to schedule a free consultation and to learn more about how we can help.
