A look at neonatal conjunctivitis as a birth injury

If a baby develops conjunctivitis shortly after birth, it may have either been infected by the mother during birth or by the attending obstetrician and midwives. An eye infection of this kind must be immediately treated or the baby could lose its sight.

If a baby can't see, its ability to receive and process information about the world around it is reduced and its ability to grow and develop is affected.

Serious eye conditions and blindness are rare. Birth injury eye infections, on the other hand, are extremely common. As the eyes of babies are so sensitive, in the first few weeks of their life, they are particularly vulnerable to such birth injuries.

During the last seven months of pregnancy, the eye continues to grow and mature and the nerve that connects the eye to the brain (the optic nerve) is formed.

At birth, a baby's eye is about 75 % of the size of an adult eye. During the first two years of its life, the optic nerve and internal eye structures continue to develop. A newborn baby's sharpness of vision is approximately 20/400. This is equivalent to seeing only the big letter "E" on an eye chart.

The first eye exam takes place in the neonatal unit. The paediatrician performs a screening eye exam to check for birth injury infections and eye problems including malformed eyelids, cataracts, glaucoma and other abnormalities.

Blocked tear ducts may result when tears drain from the eye through a duct, leading from the inside corner of the eyelid into the nose. Some babies are born with a blocked tear duct, causing tears to back up and overflow. As newborn babies are prone to eye infections, antibiotics may be required and if medication is incorrectly administered, this could lead to an eye birth injury.

With conjunctivitis conditions, infected eyes may appear red and puffy and have a sticky discharge. Antibiotic eye drops may be given as treatment.

Birth injury compensation claim
Any birth injury that affects a newborn baby is extremely serious, and will naturally concern many parents as an eye birth infection could eventually lead to blindness.

If the eye infection or conjunctivitis is due to medical negligence, then hospital staff will be at fault and their employees could find themselves the subject of a compensation claim.

Our panel of specialist birth injury solicitors have extensive experience in dealing with neonatal personal injury cases and can help you pursue a no win, no fee compensation claim.

All compensation awarded will go directly to you and you won't have to pay us a single penny. Call us now on 0800 10 757 95 to find out whether you can make a birth injury claim.