Newborn babies require extremely special and attentive care by hospital staff. New parents across New Jersey are generally not attuned to the immediate health care and medical needs of a baby, which is why it is crucial that doctors and nurses provide standard levels of care to new babies who are quite fragile and vulnerable.
When a baby’s needs are neglected immediately following birth, the damage to his or her physical and mental capabilities can be severe. One family was devastated to learn that although the mother had given birth to three healthy triplets, they would be going home with two healthy babies and one that would require ongoing care because of pediatric malpractice.
About 10 years ago, a woman gave birth to a girl and two boys. After the delivery, the girl required additional fluid which the medical team administered through an IV. The newborn girl was hooked up to the IV set up to administer 4.5 cc of fluid to the tiny girl every hour.
However, just a few hours later, the girl suffered brain damage as a result of receiving too much liquid through the IV. Reports indicate that instead of hooking the baby up to a pump designed for neonatal use, hospital staff used an adult pump. And instead of programming the dosing at 4.5 cc per hour during a bag replacement, someone accidentally set the pump at 405 cc per hour. It took nearly an hour before anyone knew a mistake had been made and by then, the damage had been done. The little girl now suffers from developmental delays because the overdose of fluid caused permanent brain damage.
The parents filed a lawsuit against the hospital for the mistake. It was recently announced that the hospital has agreed to compensate the family $7 million for the damages caused by the oversight. Money cannot undo the tragic incident, but in these types of cases, financial settlements can go a long way in helping a New Jersey family cover the additional costs of treating and caring for a loved one who has been the victim of medical malpractice. These expenses can be quite substantial, especially if a medical error made during or immediately after a baby’s birth results in a permanent injury or illness.
Source: “Edward Hospital settles baby overdose suit for $7 million,” Dec. 16, 2013
