Dr. Marjorie Greenfield
Specializing in pregnancy and birth.
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 Ask Dr. Greenfield
Ruptured Membrane & Baby Born with Pneumonia | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Greenfield,
Is it possible that a baby was born with pneumonia because the mother did not deliver the same day her water broke and delivered three days later?— Joemary | | | ANSWER |
April 11, 2002 | | | Dear Joemary,
Unfortunately, it is true that pneumonia is one of the possible infections that a fetus can get as a result of prolonged rupture of the membranes.
Normally the bag of waters protects the inside of the uterus and the fetus from bacteria moving up from the vagina. Once the bag is perforated, bacteria can start to move in. Usually the baby is born before there is a problem, but sometimes the mother gets an infection in her uterus, called chorioamnionitis, and/or the baby gets bacteria in his lungs, spinal cord or blood causing pneumonia, meningitis, or sepsis. If the mother shows signs of a uterine infection, doctors usually start intravenous antibiotics and deliver the baby as soon as possible. But there isn't always a sign, like fever in the mother, that indicates antibiotics are necessary, and even when given, antibiotics aren't always effective at preventing newborn infection.
In general, once a mother's water breaks, it is best to deliver the baby within a day. The decisions related to how to care for a mother with ruptured membranes can be complex, though, and must take into account the risks of premature birth, complications of labor induction, and the statistical chances of serious infection in the baby.
I hope that this answers your questions. Take care.— by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. |
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