Rubella Malpractice Lawyer

The Eisen Law Firm’s birth injury lawyers represent parents of children with birth injury-related disabilities. Our Cleveland, Ohio, birth injury lawyers have experience advocating for children with physical and cognitive disabilities and understand how to identify medical negligence. If you wish to consult with an attorney about your child’s birth injury, contact us online or call 216-687-0900 for a free consultation.

Maternal Infections During Pregnancy

Pregnant women can experience infections, which can cause birth injuries. Thus, infection diagnosis and treatment are essential to prenatal care. Infants may sustain birth injuries that cause physical and intellectual disabilities when healthcare professionals fail to prevent and treat maternal infections correctly. Moreover, physicians should communicate with patients regarding their vaccination history and warn patients about specific diseases that could lead to a birth injury.

Unfortunately, when a healthcare professional fails to prevent, diagnose, or correctly treat a maternal infection, an infant may experience a birth injury that causes physical or cognitive disabilities. One type of maternal infection that can cause birth injuries is rubella. When pregnant women contract rubella, infants can suffer physical and intellectual disabilities as a result.

Rubella

In children and adults, rubella is typically a mild illness. Rubella causes a facial rash, which spreads to other parts of the body. Additional symptoms include:

Runny nose
Cough
Low fever
Headache
Mild pink eye
Swollen lymph nodes
Diarrhea
General discomfort

Although rubella is a mild illness, it poses severe risks for pregnant women, as contracting rubella during pregnancy can cause an infant to be born with physical and developmental disabilities. Although rubella has been eliminated in the United States, pregnant women who have not been inoculated against rubella can contract it in rare instances. Historically, rubella was a common childhood illness in the United States.

History Of Rubella

Rubella was a typical childhood illness until rubella vaccines became available in the 1960s. Vaccinations have significantly reduced rubella occurrences in the United States. However, rubella infections can occur today in people who did not receive rubella vaccinations.

Rubella Or German Measles

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, doctors initially thought rubella was a variant of scarlet fever or measles until German researchers identified it as a separate disease in the early 1800s. As a result, Rubella was also known as German measles.

Discovery Of Link Between Rubella And Congenital Cataracts In Infants

Following a rubella epidemic in 1940, researchers discovered that rubella causes birth defects. Led by Norman Gregg, an Australian ophthalmologist, researchers identified a link between maternal rubella infections and infant birth injuries. Norman Gregg is credited with finding that infants born from mothers infected with rubella had congenital cataracts.

Creation Of Rubella Vaccine

A vaccine for rubella first became available in 1969. In 1971, people could receive a combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. More recently, in 2005, a combination measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine became available.

Rubella Vaccination

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that most people receive a vaccine against rubella. Generally, children receive two doses of the MMR vaccine. Children typically receive the first dose between 12 and 15 months old. Children usually receive the second dose between four and six years old. However, in some circumstances, children may receive the second dose of the vaccine in as few as 28 days following the first dose. Teenagers who did not receive the MMR vaccine as children may receive two doses of the MMR vaccine separated by 28 days. Generally, adults without rubella vaccination only need one MMR vaccine dose. However, certain adults may need two doses. Adults may need two doses of the MMR vaccine when:

Attending post-secondary institutions
Traveling internationally
Working in the healthcare profession

The MMR Vaccine And Pregnancy

Women who plan to become pregnant and pregnant women have special considerations regarding the MMR vaccine. The CDC recommends that women who plan to become pregnant consult their doctors and ensure they have been inoculated for measles, mumps, and rubella before pregnancy. The CDC recommends that pregnant women refrain from receiving the MMR vaccine. However, the CDC states that the MMR vaccine is safe for breastfeeding women.

Congenital Rubella Syndrome

According to the CDC, congenital rubella syndrome occurs when a pregnant woman contracts rubella, and the virus harms the fetus. Maternal rubella infection is particularly dangerous for a fetus during early pregnancy. Consequences of a rubella infection include miscarriages and stillbirths. Additionally, babies may be born with:

Cataracts
Congenital heart disease
Hearing impairment
Developmental delay

Preventing Rubella Birth Injuries

A medical professional may be responsible for a rubella birth injury when a child is born with congenital rubella syndrome because the medical professional made a significant mistake. In some instances, physicians may neglect to communicate with their patients about the risks of rubella and may fail to ask patients if they have received a vaccination against rubella.

For instance, suppose a pregnant woman did not receive the rubella vaccine. Her physician fails to obtain information about her medical history. Later, she travels to a country with rubella, contracts the rubella virus, and her child is born with congenital rubella syndrome. In that case, the physician could have prevented the child from suffering from congenital rubella syndrome.

Medical Malpractice Claim

Under Ohio law, parents of children born with congenital rubella syndrome might be able to bring medical malpractice claims against a healthcare professional. Parents wishing to sue a physician for a rubella birth injury should speak with an experienced attorney. An attorney can evaluate the medical care and protect the rights of children injured by medical malpractice.

Contact Our Experienced Cleveland Birth Injury Attorneys To Learn More

If your child has suffered a rubella birth injury, consider consulting with an experienced birth injury attorney to learn more about your child’s rights. Our Cleveland birth injury attorneys at The Eisen Law Firm protect the legal rights of children who suffer birth injuries and assist their families. Call our office at 216-687-0900 or contact us online for a free consultation.