Baby dies at "Sheba" hospital, his parents will receive 1.8 million shekels

The Tel Aviv District Court ordered the state to pay 1.8 million shekels to the parents of an infant who died at 5 days old from an aggressive bacterial infection in the premature unit of Sheba Hospital. Judge Orly Mor-El ruled that the hospital could have prevented the infection, but antibiotics were delayed due to staff's erroneous assessment.

The Tel Aviv District Court upheld a medical negligence lawsuit filed by the parents of an infant who died at 5 days old. The child, one of fraternal twins, was born at 35 weeks weighing about 1.8 kg. Due to prematurity and the mother's GBS bacteria, he was transferred to the premature unit of Sheba Hospital in Tel HaShomer. After a course of antibiotics, his condition stabilized and treatment was stopped on day 4. Later that day, the infant experienced two respiratory arrests, a drop in pulse, and fever. It was found that he had contracted an aggressive ESBL enterobacter bacteria, resistant to penicillin and cephalosporins. Judge Orly Mor-El determined that broad-spectrum antibiotics were prescribed too late due to staff's erroneous assessment. The unit failed to follow infection prevention protocols—at least 18 premature infants were carriers of the dangerous bacteria. The judge held the state liable as the hospital's owner, awarding the family 1,788,524 shekels for pain, suffering, and reduced life expectancy, plus 418,514 shekels for legal costs and attorney fees.