Pa. Mom Says Her Newborn Was Exposed to Measles in Hospital NICU

Pa. Mom Says Her Newborn Was Exposed to Measles in Hospital NICU https://ift.tt/Dnf1FPR

Geisinger Medical Center said they will change their screening protocol for visitors

Premature baby holding parent’s hand in NICU
Credit: Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• Brittany Nicole Sponenberg’s newborn was exposed to measles while in the NICU at Geisinger Medical Center
• The hospital has updated its screening protocols as measles cases in the U.S. reach a 35-year high
• Measles is highly contagious, but the two-dose MMR vaccine is 97% effective in preventing the disease

A Pa. mother is detailing the shocking moment she learned that her newborn son had been exposed to measles while in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Brittany Nicole Sponenberg, from Danville, Pa., spent nearly two months watching her son in the NICU at Geisinger Medical Center after he was born with underdeveloped lungs and gut. 

Last week, she was shocked to receive a call from hospital staff notifying her that her baby boy had been exposed to measles after the NICU was the epicenter of a growing outbreak.

Geisinger Medical Center confirmed in a press release that an adult visited the Danville NICU between Friday, August 14 and Monday, August 17. The individual developed a fever and rash on August 17 and tested positive for measles the following day.

Sponenberg told CNN that she wasn’t informed until three days later, when her son had already been transferred to another hospital.

“And he told me all of that, and I’m like, are you kidding me right now?” she said.

Mother holding newborn baby
Credit: Getty

Sponenberg said her son’s doctor explained that the risk of him getting measles was low, but he would still need to receive medication as a precaution. Additionally, he would be transferred to an isolated room in the hospital until he’s cleared after 28 days.  

“It really extremely upset me, because he was already having things to overcome. He had to get stabbed in the leg with something he shouldn’t have had to get stabbed in the leg with yet. He shouldn’t have needed that medication yet, being that young,” she told the outlet. “He’s already had to overcome so many battles already. This was not a battle I wanted to add to us having to overcome.”

Following the measles exposure, Geisinger Medical Center announced that it would be changing the hospital’s screening protocols. Now, only parents or legal guardians who don’t have any signs or symptoms of measles will be allowed in the NICU or its nearby children’s hospital.

Visitors will also be “highly encouraged” to wear a surgical mask during their stay.

“Our teams established entrance screenings to best protect our patients, visitors and staff as measles cases are rising in the area. However, the screening process relies on accurate and complete information being shared at the time of entry,” Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick, Geisinger’s Central Region chief medical officer, said in a statement.

The hospital noted that it is also working with families of NICU patients who have been exposed to discuss care options.

Measles viral disease
Credit: Getty

Measles cases in the U.S. have hit a 35-year high, with more than 2,500 cases reported across 47 states, as vaccination coverage drops well below levels that would help halt the spread of the virus. As of August 20, there have been 2,777 confirmed cases of the wildly infectious illness, per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. That surpasses the number of cases in all of 2025. And in 2024, there were only 285 cases.

Measles is a highly contagious airborne viral infection that can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. People can also be infected by breathing contaminated air, where it remains infectious for up to two hours, or by touching their mouth, eyes, or nose after coming in contact with a contaminated surface. 

Symptoms typically appear seven to 14 days after contact with the virus and often include high fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes. The two-dose MMR vaccine is 97% effective in preventing the disease.

The CDC estimates that about 1 in 5 unvaccinated people in the United States who get measles will need hospitalization.