Delayed Diagnosis of Herpes Results in Injuries to Newborn Child

Case Overview

This case takes place in South Carolina and involves a female patient who presented to her Ob/Gyn during her third trimester of pregnancy for blood work. She was tested on a Thursday and subsequently gave birth two days later. The delivery progressed without complication and the mother and infant were both discharged. Less than a week later, the mother presented to the ER with her child. The child had a rash and a fever, and was admitted to the hospital for evaluation. Twelve days later the child was diagnosed with herpes. Unbeknownst to the mother, her blood work came back positive for herpes the day after delivery yet her Ob/Gyn never informed her or the pediatrician in the hospital. The child suffered debilitating side effects and now has cerebral palsy.

Questions to the Pediatrics expert and their responses

If the pediatrician knew there was a potential that the child was infected with herpes, what treatment options would have been available?

I could review what the possible outcomes of testing and treatment pathways would have been. Neonatal herpes infection is a horrible disease that even with our best treatment still, often, leads to poor outcomes. But I could discuss how timely treatment could have modified the risk of poor outcome.

Could you perform a record review to establish whether or not there would have been a different outcome?

I could review whether or not, and how, the child should have been evaluated per current guidelines and standard of care based on the results of the maternal testing (had the results been known to the infant’s doctors).

About the expert

This highly qualified Pediatric Infectious Disease Expert is double board certified. He completed his undergraduate study at Dartmouth College and received his medical doctorate from the Yale University School of Medicine. During his Pediatric Residency training at UCSF, this expert co-founded a non-profit organization in partnership with providers in the Democratic Republic of Congo and India to improve health care delivered to children. He went on to pursue the HIV Clinical Scholar's program in 2005 and then a Pediatric Infectious Disease Fellowship at UCSF. He is currently Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at a major university.

E-008898

Specialties:

Pediatrics