Did A Failure To Test For Or Treat Strep B Lead To Birth Injuries?

What Is Group B Strep, And Why Is It Dangerous During Birth?

Group B Streptococcus is a type of bacteria commonly found in the gastrointestinal and genital tracts of healthy adults. Many people carry it without symptoms. However, during childbirth, the bacteria can be passed from mother to newborn, potentially causing severe infection.

In newborns, GBS infection can appear in two forms:

• Early-onset GBS (within the first 6 days of life), which can cause sepsis, pneumonia, or meningitis
• Late-onset GBS (after the first week), which often presents as meningitis or bloodstream infection

These infections can lead to long-term complications such as neurological damage, developmental delays, hearing or vision loss, cerebral palsy, or even death.

Because of these risks, medical professionals are required to follow strict screening and prevention guidelines. However, when those are missed or ignored, the results can be devastating.

How Should Doctors Test And Prevent GBS Infections?

To reduce the risk of neonatal GBS infection, the standard of care (according to the CDC) requires:

• Screening between 35–37 weeks of pregnancy: A vaginal and rectal swab is taken to detect GBS.
• Antibiotic treatment during labor: If a mother tests positive, or if certain risk factors are present, she should receive IV antibiotics (usually penicillin or ampicillin) during labor, ideally at least four hours before delivery.
• Monitoring the newborn after birth: Even with antibiotics, babies exposed to GBS must be closely observed for signs of infection.

When followed correctly, these steps reduce the risk of transmission from about 1 in 200 to 1 in 4,000. The science is clear: GBS infections can often be prevented when proper testing and treatment protocols are followed.

What Happens When Medical Providers Fail To Follow These Protocols?

In birth injury cases involving GBS, the key issue is identifying where the system broke down. Common failures include:

• Failure to screen: The 35 – 37 week test wasn’t ordered, performed, or followed up.
• Lost or ignored test results: Lab results weren’t reviewed or recorded correctly.
• Failure to treat a known GBS-positive mother: Antibiotics weren’t given or were started too late.
• Ignoring risk factors when the test was unavailable: For example, if a mother’s water breaks early or she develops a fever during labor, antibiotics should still be administered.
• Failure to monitor or respond after delivery: If a newborn shows signs of infection and medical staff fail to act quickly, brain damage or death can occur.

Each of these failures represents a breach in the standard of care and can form the basis of a medical malpractice claim when a baby is harmed.

Why Are GBS Birth Injury Cases So Complex?

Even when negligence seems clear, GBS-related birth injury claims are medically and legally complex. Some of the challenges include:

• Timing: Determining exactly when the infection occurred can be difficult.
• Causation disputes: The defense may argue that the baby would have been infected even with proper care.
• Record issues: Missing or unclear documentation can complicate proof.
• Changing standards: Guidelines for testing and prevention have evolved over time, and lawyers must show what was expected at that specific time.

This complexity is why families must work with a law firm that has both medical expertise and a proven record of success in birth injury litigation.

What Can Families Do If They Suspect GBS Negligence?

If a child has suffered from sepsis, meningitis, brain damage, or other complications after birth, it’s important to ask whether GBS was a factor and whether it could have been prevented.

Families can take the following steps:

• Request and review medical records from pregnancy, labor, and delivery.
• Ask whether GBS testing was performed and what the results were.
• Seek an evaluation from an experienced birth injury attorney who can consult with medical experts.

Even if a doctor insists that “nothing could have been done,” a thorough review may reveal missed opportunities for prevention or early treatment.

How Can Ross Feller Casey Help?

Ross Feller Casey has earned a national reputation for successfully representing families affected by birth injuries caused by medical negligence. The firm’s attorneys work closely with an in-house team of top physicians to uncover what went wrong and to hold healthcare providers accountable when they fail to protect mothers and babies from preventable harm.

If your child has suffered injuries that may be related to a failure to test or treat Group B Strep, you may be entitled to compensation for medical costs, future care, and pain and suffering.

Contact Ross Feller Casey today for a free, confidential consultation. There are no upfront costs, and you pay nothing unless we win your case.