Talk to Lawyer
Mark Kopec Now
Mark Kopec Now
Group B Strep
Understanding Group B Strep and Your Legal Rights
Welcoming a new baby into the world should be a time of joy. However, when medical providers fail to follow established protocols for Group B Streptococcus (GBS), that joy can quickly turn into a nightmare. If your child suffered a birth injury due to Group B Strep mismanagement, you aren’t just dealing with a medical crisis—you may be a victim of medical malpractice.
At our firm, we specialize in holding doctors and other medical providers accountable when their negligence leads to life-altering neonatal injuries. Below, we break down everything you need to know about GBS and why a failure to treat it is often a grounds for a lawsuit.
What is Group B Strep (GBS)?
Group B Streptococcus is a type of bacteria commonly in the digestive and lower reproductive tracts of women. It is important to distinguish GBS from “Strep throat” (Group A Strep); they are not the same.
For a healthy adult, GBS is usually harmless. In fact, about 1 in 4 pregnant persons carry the bacteria (this is being “colonized”). However, for a newborn, GBS is a leading cause of severe infection, permanent disability, and even death. The bacteria can be passed from mother to baby during labor as the infant passes through the birth canal or if the amniotic sac ruptures early.
Risk Factors for the Baby
While any baby born to a GBS-positive mother is at risk, certain factors significantly increase the likelihood of the infant developing an invasive infection:
- Preterm Labor: Delivery before 37 weeks of gestation.
- Prolonged Rupture of Membranes (PROM): If the mother’s “water breaks” more than 18 hours before delivery.
- Maternal Fever: A temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher during labor.
- Previous Group B Strep History: Having a previous child who developed a GBS infection.
- GBS in Urine: Detection of GBS in the mother’s urine at any point during the current pregnancy.
Recommended Screening Protocols
Because GBS is so dangerous to newborns, the medical community has established a “Universal Screening” protocol.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that medical providers screen all pregnant persons for GBS between 36 0/7 and 37 6/7 weeks of pregnancy.
- Who Diagnoses It? Your Obstetrician-Gynecologist (OB/GYN) or a certified nurse-midwife typically handles the screening during a routine prenatal visit.
- How the Test Works: The provider performs a simple swab of the vagina and rectum. This sample is sent to a lab where it is cultured to see if the bacteria grow over the course of 24 to 48 hours.
Legal Note: If your doctor failed to perform this swab or failed to check the results before you went into labor, they may have breached the standard of care.
Symptoms of GBS Infection in Newborns
GBS infections generally fall into two categories: Early-Onset (within the first 7 days) and Late-Onset (after 7 days). Parents and medical staff should watch for:
- Fever or unstable body temperature.
- Respiratory Distress: Grunting sounds, flared nostrils, or blue-tinted skin (cyanosis).
- Lethargy or extreme difficulty waking the baby.
- Poor feeding or weak sucking reflex.
- Irritability or inconsolable crying.
- Seizures or stiff movements.
The Standard Treatment: Prevention is Key
The most effective “treatment” for Group B Strep is actually prophylaxis (prevention). If a mother tests positive for GBS, she should receive intravenous (IV) antibiotics (usually Penicillin or Ampicillin) once labor begins or her water breaks.
- The Window of Efficacy: To be fully effective, the first dose of antibiotics should be administered at least 4 hours prior to delivery.
- Who Treats It? During labor, the Labor and Delivery nurses and the Hospitalist or OB-GYN are responsible for administering these drugs. If the baby is born with an infection, they will be treated by a Neonatologist in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with a course of IV antibiotics and supportive care (like ventilators or fluids).
Potential Bad Outcomes and Long-Term Injuries
When the medical providers do not catch or treat GBS in time, the bacteria invade the baby’s system, leading to catastrophic conditions:
- Sepsis: A life-threatening blood infection that can cause organ failure.
- Meningitis: Inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. This is the most common cause of long-term disability.
- Pneumonia: Severe lung infection.
- Permanent Disabilities: These include Cerebral Palsy, blindness, deafness, and profound developmental delays.
Types of Medical Malpractice Birth Injury Claims
If your child suffered due to Group B Strep, several types of negligence may have occurred. Our legal team investigates the following types of claims:
1. Failure to Screen
If your OB-GYN simply forgot to perform the swab at 36-37 weeks, they have ignored the basic standard of care. Without a test, the medical team is “flying blind” during labor.
2. Failure to Administer Antibiotics
Even if the hospital correctly diagnosed the mother as GBS-positive, the hospital staff might fail to start the IV antibiotics when she arrives in labor. A delay of even a few hours can be the difference between a healthy baby and a brain damaged one.
3. Failure to Monitor High-Risk Patients
If a mother arrives in preterm labor or with a fever, and her GBS status is “unknown,” the standard of care requires the hospital to treat her as if she were positive. Failing to provide “emergency” prophylaxis is a common form of negligence.
4. Failure to Recognize and Treat Symptoms in the Newborn
If the baby shows signs of respiratory distress or lethargy after birth, the pediatric team must act immediately. A delay in diagnosing neonatal sepsis or meningitis can lead to permanent brain damage within hours.
Why You Need Baltimore Group B Strep Lawyer Mark Kopec
Group B Strep cases are scientifically complex. Hospitals often try to argue that the infection was “unavoidable” or that something else caused the injuries.
As your legal representatives, we do the heavy lifting:
- Audit Medical Records: We look for “gaps” in timing—when was the mother admitted? When were antibiotics ordered? When were they actually hung on the IV pole?
- Expert Witness Testimony: We work with top-tier OB-GYNs and Neonatologists to prove that the medical providers breached the standard of care.
- Life Care Planning: We calculate the lifetime costs of therapy, medical equipment, and specialized schooling your child may now require.
Your child deserves a voice, and your family deserves support for the road ahead.
Visit our free consultation page or video. Then contact the Kopec Law Firm at 800-604-0704 to speak directly with Attorney Mark Kopec. He is a top-rated Baltimore Birth Injury lawyer. The Kopec Law Firm is in Baltimore and pursues birth injury cases throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C.