Failure to Treat Maternal Infections and Resulting Birth Defects
During pregnancy, maternal infections can pose life-threatening risks to both mother and baby. While some infections are minor and easily treatable, others—if left undiagnosed or untreated—can result in severe birth defects, neurological injury, or even fetal death. When healthcare providers fail to recognize the warning signs, delay testing, or ignore standard treatment protocols, the consequences often lead to malpractice litigation.
At Lexcura Summit Medical-Legal Consulting, we help attorneys untangle these complex cases by reviewing medical records, reconstructing treatment timelines, and providing expert analysis on how negligence contributed to preventable harm.
Common Maternal Infections That Can Harm Infants
Several infections are known to cause serious birth defects if not treated promptly:
Group B Streptococcus (GBS): Can lead to neonatal sepsis, pneumonia, or meningitis.
Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs): If untreated, may progress to kidney infection, preterm labor, or sepsis.
Chorioamnionitis: Infection of the amniotic sac that can cause fetal brain injury.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV): A leading cause of congenital hearing loss, seizures, and developmental delays.
Toxoplasmosis: May result in hydrocephalus, blindness, or cognitive impairment.
Syphilis & Other STIs: Associated with stillbirth, low birth weight, or severe congenital anomalies.
When these infections are missed, infants may face lifelong consequences requiring extensive medical care.
How Negligence Leads to Birth Defects
Failure to treat maternal infections often stems from:
Inadequate prenatal screening or missed lab results
Failure to follow CDC guidelines for GBS prophylaxis during labor
Delayed or incorrect antibiotic administration
Poor communication between providers and nursing staff
Lack of follow-up on abnormal test results
Attorneys frequently investigate whether standard protocols—such as routine urine cultures, STI panels, or intrapartum antibiotic administration—were followed.
Legal Considerations in Infection-Related Birth Injury Cases
To establish negligence, attorneys must prove that:
The infection was foreseeable and detectable during pregnancy.
Timely treatment could have prevented or minimized harm.
Provider actions (or inactions) directly caused the resulting birth injury or defect.
Key records often include:
Prenatal screening labs
Labor and delivery records documenting antibiotic use
Maternal progress notes showing symptoms of infection
Neonatal records documenting early complications
How Lexcura Summit Supports These Cases
At Lexcura Summit, our team of over 200 board-certified clinicians provides attorneys with the expertise needed to strengthen maternal infection cases. We offer:
Medical Chronologies – Reconstructing infection progression and treatment delays.
Narrative Summaries – Explaining how failure to treat led to congenital defects or neonatal injury.
Case Screening Reports – Quickly identifying viable claims.
Life Care Plans – For children facing lifelong disabilities from preventable infections.
Rebuttal & Defense Reports – Supporting both plaintiff and defense litigation teams.
All reports are delivered within 7 days (rush available in 2–3), nationwide, and fully HIPAA-compliant.
Key Takeaways
Untreated maternal infections can cause devastating and preventable birth defects.
Negligence often involves missed screenings, delayed antibiotics, or ignored symptoms.
Attorneys must rely on detailed medical records and timelines to establish liability.
Lexcura Summit provides chronologies, summaries, and expert life care plans to support attorneys handling these complex cases.
Contact Lexcura Summit
If you’re handling a maternal infection or birth defect malpractice case, our team can help.
Lexcura Summit Medical-Legal Consulting, LLC
📞 (352) 703-0703
🌐 www.lexcura-summit.com
