Articles Posted in Perinatology Negligence

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Jean-Marie Monroe-Lynch and her husband Aaron Lynch were unable to conceive. Monroe-Lynch received therapeutic donor insemination (TDI) services from the University of Connecticut Health Center’s Center for Advanced Reproductive Services. As a result, she became pregnant with twins.

Throughout the pregnancy, Jean-Marie and Aaron were told that their babies were healthy. At 37 weeks’ gestation, however, the Monroe-Lynch couple learned that their daughter had died in-utero.

The remaining twin, a boy, was then delivered by way of emergency cesarean section. The couple’s son, now age 6, suffers from catastrophic neurological and developmental disabilities.
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In 2017, after Doe’s birth at King’s County Hospital Center, the baby was admitted to the facility’s NICU for glucose monitoring.

Doe had an IV placed in her left foot and suffered an infiltration that resulted in blistering, swelling, necrosis and permanent scarring. Doe’s father, on her behalf, sued the New York Health and Hospital Corp., alleging that the hospital was negligent for choosing not to properly monitor the IV.

Before trial, the parties settled for $225,000.
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Terri Franklin had a history of hypertension. For that condition, she was prescribed Benicar. When she became pregnant at age 30, she continued to take Benicar while receiving prenatal care from obstetrician Dr. Alvin Sermons.

Her baby had a stroke in-utero, and after the birth, the baby was diagnosed as having brain damage, skull abnormalities, and intestinal and kidney problems. It is likely that the child will require a kidney transplant in the near future.

Franklin and the child’s father, individually and on the child’s behalf, sued Dr. Sermons and his practice, Dunwoody Obstetrics & Gynecology P.C., alleging that Dr. Sermons had negligently allowed Franklin to continue on the blood pressure medication while she was pregnant.
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Lilia Torres began spotting during the eighth week of her pregnancy. She was 34 years old at the time. She went to a hospital, where an ultrasound was completed, and later followed up with her treating obstetrician after receiving a diagnosis of placenta previa and possible placenta accreta – a condition in which the placenta attaches too deeply to the uterine wall. For the rest of her pregnancy, she received medical care from several obstetricians and midwives.

At 39 weeks gestation, a cesarean section was scheduled and performed one day later by two obstetricians. After the delivery, she suffered a massive blood loss, necessitating a hysterectomy.

Torres, who lost at least 10 liters of blood, suffered cardiogenic and pulmonary shock. Shortly after, she died of complications of hemorrhagic shock and multiple-organ failure. She was survived by her husband and four minor children.
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In a confidential settlement, the parties agreed to $1,250,000 for the unfortunate death of a newborn infant. In this case, before the mother’s scheduled Caesarean section, the mother underwent three transplacental amniocenteses to assess her baby’s lung maturity. The purpose of a transplacental amniocentesis is to compare transplacental with non-placental amniocentesis because of possible complications.

Amniocentesis is a frequently used invasive procedure during a woman’s pregnancy guided by ultrasound to remove a sample of amniotic fluid for testing. The procedure requires specialized medical or assistant training. Amniocentesis is a technique for withdrawing amniotic fluid from the uterine cavity using a needle.

The fluid is then tested in a laboratory to determine the health of the unborn fetus. The fluid is composed mostly of fetal substances including urine and secretions. Many times amniocentesis is done to determine whether there are genetic difficulties or to study the maturity of the unborn fetus’s lung maturity. There are risks involved with the transplacental amniocentesis, which occurred here. There was fetal bleeding from an alleged placental abruption that may have been caused by the amniocentesis procedure.

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In 2008 a study was published that focused on uncomplicated pregnancies. The question was whether to induce labor in women whose gestation had reached 41 to 42 weeks. It was revealed that inducing labor in women who have reached 41 weeks of pregnancy and who were otherwise low-risk showed the condition of the baby at birth to be favorable. The goal of obstetricians was to ensure the successful delivery of the baby before 42 weeks of gestation — for the benefit of the baby and mother.

The study suggested that there was an improvement in prenatal outcomes as a result of a more proactive post-term (more than 39 weeks) labor induction practice.

This guideline has shown that there was a significant reduction in the number of stillborn infants at term, 39 weeks of gestation. In addition to this conclusion, it was found or suggested that maternal deaths were also improved with proactive labor induction.

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Caden Glynn was born at 26 weeks, 5 days of gestation at Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora, Ill.  His early birth was attributed to his mother’s preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome.  The HELLP syndrome is an acronym for hemolysis, the breaking down of red blood cells, EL for elevated liver enzymes and LP for low platelet count. 

HELLP syndrome is a life-threatening pregnancy complication that is often a variant of preeclampsia.

Caden’s birth weight was only about 1 lb. 12 oz.  After birth he was on a ventilator and feeding was started by a nasogastric tube.  At 44 days, Caden was found to be suffering from necrotizing enterocolitis and was ordered by a treating neurologist to receive nothing by mouth.

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Ms. Doe, 37, suffered from gestational diabetes. During Doe’s pregnancy, she experienced cramping and met with her obstetrician, Dr. Roe, who was covering for Ms. Doe’s regular obstetrician. 

While at her appointment with Dr. Roe, an ultrasound revealed positive fetal breathing, tone and movement. However, a few days later, Ms. Doe returned to Dr. Roe complaining of decreased fetal movement. Dr. Roe performed a non-stress test and a biophysical profile and diagnosed a lack of fetal breathing. The obstetrician sent Ms. Doe immediately to the hospital.

Dr. Roe called a perinatologist and requested that Ms. Doe be evaluated when she arrived at the hospital. Dr. Roe also notified the hospital labor and delivery nurse that Ms. Doe would be arriving for further evaluation after a non-reactive stress test. 

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