In Missouri and throughout the country, when a pregnant woman entrusts her and her baby’s health to a medical team, she expects to receive quality care in accordance with applicable laws and the stringent protocols that govern childbirth. When something goes wrong during childbirth, it is important to determine if a care provider’s negligence was a causal factor. Sadly, this is too often the case, as was made evident by a tragedy that occurred in another state, where a woman went to the hospital to give birth but came home without a child due to fatal birth injuries.
The infant had suffered shoulder dystocia during childbirth. This is a rare condition that occurs when a baby’s head has successfully made it through the birth canal, but the shoulders get stuck. The typical obstetrician knows to ask for assistance so that maneuvers may be implemented to resolve the crisis. For reasons still not explained, the physician in this case did not follow standard protocols.
Doctor pulled on baby’s head, reportedly causing fatal birth injuries
The doctor apparently attempted for hours to pull on the baby’s head and use traction to resolve the shoulder dystocia issue. The attempts were unsuccessful. Ultimately, a cesarean section delivery occurred. Sadly, the baby did not survive. In fact, as the parents of the child would later learn from funeral home directors, the baby was decapitated during childbirth.
When fatal birth injuries occur as in this case, parents may seek justice on their child’s behalf by filing a lawsuit against those parties deemed responsible for the infant’s death. The grief of the parents in this case was intensified when they learned that the doctor had apparently concealed the baby’s manner of death from them. When a medical malpractice or wrongful death claim is being filed, it is wise to ask for help from an experienced medical malpractice attorney.