Protecting Your Baby from Infection Before and After Birth

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released information on ways expecting mothers and mothers of newborns can protect their babies from infections that they may be carrying themselves. Infections such as group B strep (GBS), cytomegalovirus (CMV) and listeriosis may be harmless to the mother but life-threatening to a fetus or newborn. Group B strep, or GBS, is an infection caused by bacteria and is present in 15 to 40 percent of all women. The bacteria usually poses no harm to its carrier or to people around them, however, if the bacteria is passed along from a mother to her newborn during birth, it can cause serious health problems or even death to the baby. The CDC recommends that women get screened for group B strep between their 35th and 37th week of each pregnancy so that doctors can plan on giving antibiotics during labor to protect the baby from exposure to the GBS bacteria. Cytomegalovirus, or CMV, is a common virus that is part of the herpes family. According to the CDC, between 50 and 85 percent of people in the U.S. experience a CMV infection by the time they reach age 40. These infections do not usually cause serious problems in healthy adults and children, however, if a pregnant woman becomes infected with CMV, it is possible for her to pass the virus to her baby before, during or after birth, which may result in serious birth defects, other health problems or death. To avoid these serious risks, expecting mothers should make every effort to avoid contracting CMV by practicing good hygiene and following these CDC guidelines:

• Wash your hands thoroughly (15 –20 seconds) with soap and water, especially after changing diapers or coming into contact with children's body fluids.
  
• Use soap and water or a disinfectant to clean hard surfaces that have come into contact with children's body fluids.
  
• Avoid kissing young children on the face or lips.
• Don't share food, drinks, or eating utensils with young children.
• If you work in a day care center, limit your close contact with children younger than 2 ½ years of age, especially if you've never been infected with CMV or don't know if you've been infected.
  

Another serious infection that pregnant women should be made aware of is listeriosis, which people can get by eating foods contaminated with Listeria. Listeria is a bacteria found in water and soil that can contaminate foods being grown in that soil. The bacteria may also be present in uncooked animal products that come from infected animals. Listeriosis is 20 times more likely to appear in pregnant women than in other healthy adults and usually affects pregnant women, infants, older adults and people with fragile immune systems. According to the CDC, pregnant women infected with listeriosis may experience mild symptoms similar to the flu and if the bacteria is transferred to the fetus, it may result in premature delivery, newborn infection, stillbirth, or miscarriage. Preventative measures such as making sure foods are fully cleaned and cooked and avoiding eating any raw foods should be taken to avoid listeriosis. If you are pregnant and think you may have listeriosis, talk to your doctor so he or she can provide proper antibiotics to protect your newborn. By taking these precautions, you may be able to save your newborn from serious injury or death. If your newborn was injured as a result negligence on the part of a doctor or other heath care provider and you have malpractice questions, please contact the birth injury lawyers at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, serving clients with Brooklyn birth injury, Bronx birth injury, Manhattan birth injury, Queens birth injury, and Long Island birth injury cases. We also serve clients located in Staten Island and Westchester.

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