Each moment counts when delivering a baby, especially when things start to go wrong. A recent federal tort lawsuit filed in California alleges that one hospital’s mistake caused $50 million worth of permanent brain damage to a child. When Stefanie Davis went into labor in January of 2010, doctors determined that a vaginal birth was out of the question due to the baby’s position. The attending physician performed a C-section with a vacuum extraction, which many health experts acknowledge poses certain health risks to the baby. The procedure involves placing a small vacuum on the baby’s head to aid its removal from the womb. After removing the baby, nurses noticed signs of distress on the child where the doctor applied the vacuum, such as bruising, swelling and hemorrhaging. The baby showed signs of increased heartbeat and rapid breathing, which doctors later diagnosed as consistent with a seizure disorder. The injuries…
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Birth Injury and Cerebral Palsy Attorneys Home
Parents File $50 Million Birth Injury Suit Against Hospital
November 5, 2012Couple Says Doctor Decapitated Newborn During Birth
October 31, 2012A recent lawsuit filed by Arteisha Betts and Travis Ammonette says a doctor went to grotesque lengths to cover up the accidental death of their newborn son in the delivery room. The lawsuit claims that the doctor pulled too hard on the infant’s head during delivery, causing the head to detach from the body. To cover up the mistake, they say he then forced the baby back inside Betts and ordered an emergency cesarean section, or C-section. Prior Warnings At an earlier appointment, a physician told the couple that due to the baby’s size, Betts would likely need to give birth via C-section. When it came time to deliver, however, Dr. Gilbert Webb of St. John’s Mercy Medical Center would only perform a C-section after attempting a vaginal birth. He also allegedly would not allow the couple to leave and go to another hospital. Reluctantly, the couple agreed. Birth Gone…
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Dangers of Misdiagnosing an Ectopic Pregnancy
October 26, 2012Roughly one in 40 pregnancies is ectopic, which means the egg is fertilized somewhere outside the womb, often in the fallopian tubes. Doctors usually terminate these pregnancies because they pose a significant health risk to the mother and because the fetus has a small chance of surviving. However, sometimes the methods doctors use to terminate an ectopic pregnancy can cause unintended consequences if they misdiagnose the mother’s condition. “Those fetuses that are misdiagnosed as ectopic and were actually in the uterus receive high doses of teratogenic drug during early stage of development, and that causes malformations,” said Dr. Yaron Finkelstein, a physician at Sick Kids Hospital. He was quoted in an ABC News story about a woman whose child suffered birth defects after doctors misdiagnosed her pregnancy as ectopic and administered a drug called methotrexate, which caused serious birth defects in an otherwise normal pregnancy. Studies Show High Rates, High…
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