Many expectant mothers worry about passing contagious diseases to their fetuses, and it is a possibility in some cases. There are several precautions that you can take during your pregnancy to protect your baby, and there are also some things your doctor should be doing to protect you and your child.
The good news is that you are probably already immune to many contagious diseases that could harm your baby. Vaccinations received in childhood protect you from contracting harmful illnesses such as rubella (German measles) that may harm your child. In addition, many infections can’t be passed from the mother to the fetus. But there are many other diseases that might be passed through the placenta or transmitted to the infant during birth.
Your doctor should work with you to identify your risks of transmitting infection to your child. Failure to provide adequate prenatal care may contribute to your risk of passing an infection to your child, and the doctor may be liable in such cases. Work with our contagious disease lawyers in New York to review your options. You can reach Gacovino, Lake & Associates at 800-550-0000 to set up your consultation.
Contagious Diseases That May Affect Mothers and Babies during Pregnancy
BabyCenter.com provides a list of infections that might affect a pregnancy in some way.
- Bacterial vaginosis
- Chicken pox
- Chlamydia
- Cytomegalovirus
- Fifth disease (parvovirus)
- Flu
- Gonorrhea
- Group B strep
- Hepatitis B
- Herpes
- HIV
- Listeriosis
- Rubella
- Syphilis
- Toxoplasmosis
- Trichomoniasis
- Urinary tract infection
If your baby suffered harm because a doctor failed to provide an acceptable standard of care in relation to an infection on this list – or another infection that caused harm during your pregnancy – you may have a valid legal claim. Discuss your options with contagious disease attorneys in New York.
Taking Legal Action if Contagious Diseases Harmed Your Baby
If a doctor was negligent and this negligence caused harm to your child, then you may take legal action against the doctor. To do so, you must present medical evidence that the doctor failed to provide an acceptable standard of care. Simply contracting an infection that harms your child does not mean the doctor is liable.
A medical expert may testify regarding failure to diagnose a condition, interpret test results correctly, provide adequate counseling or treatment, or other negligent acts that may have contributed to the child’s injuries. Medical documentation and records may be applicable to your case, and your attorney can help you recover this evidence.
You also must establish the effects of the harm on your child and your family. If the contagious disease did not cause any injuries or damages, then you may not recover any compensation. Thus, adequately demonstrating the financial and other effects of the infection on your family is important to recover fair compensation for your damages.
Get Help from Contagious Disease Lawyers in New York at Gacovino & Lake
If you believe your baby was affected by a contagious disease that was undiagnosed during pregnancy or that your doctor mismanaged or you believe your doctor otherwise neglected to provide adequate prenatal care, Gacovino, Lake & Associates can help you. You may need to file a medical malpractice lawsuit to seek compensation for the benefit of your child’s future. Call us today at 800-550-0000 for a free case review by one of our qualified attorneys. You also can set up your consultation using the form on our contact page.
