3 Premature Babies Die From Bacteria Infection At Pennsylvania Hospital

Three premature infants are dead after eight were exposed to waterborne bacteria at Geisinger Medical Hospital in Danville, Pennsylvania, while receiving neonatal intensive care. As a precaution, the facility is currently redirecting prematurely delivering mothers to other nearby hospitals and medical centers.

According to reports, the infants had contracted infections from the waterborne pseudomonas bacteria. This is one of the most common hospital-acquired infections and can cause severe symptoms in those with weakened immune systems, such as premature babies.

Dr. Mark Shelley, director of infection prevention at the facility, said that no signs of the bacteria could be found throughout the facility, likely meaning that it was confined to intensive care. Nonetheless, the hospital is taking no chances, cleaning more, installing filters on water taps and changing certain procedures.

“It's really too soon to say exactly where the organism is coming from,” Shelley said.

The hospital is also working closely with the state health department and the Center for Disease Control to determine the cause of these infections and to prevent any cases like this one from happening in the future.

“We will continue our meticulous and comprehensive infection control practices at GMC to reduce the risk of any infection in any infant, and we remain committed to providing the highest level of family-centered neonatal care for our families and babies,” the hospital said in a statement posted to its Facebook page.