MONTOUR COUNTY, Pa. -- The parents of one of the three infants who died at Geisinger Medical Center's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) after contracting an infection have filed a lawsuit against the central Pennsylvania hospital, according to WNEP.
The lawsuit claims that Geisinger Medical Center knew its NICU was dangerous and contaminated with the bacteria when baby Abel Cepeda was delivered in late September 13 weeks premature, WNEP reports. Cepeda was the third infant to die in six weeks.
The lawsuit accuses the hospital of, "reckless disregard of the continuing health and safety of its most vulnerable patient population NICU babies," according to WNEP. It also claims that Geisinger made a decision not to close its NICU and not to transfer premature infants delivered at less than 32 weeks.
Geisinger officials told WNEP earlier this month that eight infants were recently treated for the infection; and three died, one infant being Cepeda. Because of this, the hospital decided to then divert some patients to other hospitals, which included women likely to deliver at less than 32 weeks and babies born at less than 32 weeks.
The hospital told WNEP that its department of infection prevention did of the water and surfaces in the NICU and did not find the bacteria.