In Georgia, a doctor allegedly severed the newborn's skull during a "nightmare" delivery.
Dr. Tracey St. Julian is being sued by Jessica Ross and Treveon Taylor, whose son died during a difficult birth at Southern Regional Hospital, for egregious negligence. Additionally, multiple nurses are being sued for concealing the incident.
Their attorneys asserted that Dr. St. Julian was too rough with the infant during delivery. Cory Lynch, a member of their legal team, remarked that the couple was "overjoyed" about the delivery of their first child. "Unfortunately, their aspirations and dreams turned into a nightmare that Southern Regional Medical Center covered up," he said.
The Medical Examiner's office and Clayton County Police are investigating the case, which was brought to their attention on July 13 despite the fact that the fatality occurred on July 9.
According to the attorney's statement, Dr. St. Julian attempted to vaginally deliver the infant using various techniques, including "applying traction to the baby's head."
Roderick Edmond, doctor-attorney who was also representing the parents, claimed that Dr. St. Julian used "ridiculously excessive force" on the infant. "When Dr. St. Julian attempted to deliver the baby, she tugged so hard on the baby's head and neck and manipulated them so violently that the bones of the baby's skull, face, and neck were fractured." He stated, "When the womb was opened, the limbs and the body emerged, but there was no head."
The infant could not be delivered vaginally due to shoulder dystocia, a condition in which the shoulders become stuck in the birth canal.
The lawsuit alleges that Dr. St. Julian, a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist, failed to perform a cesarean section at the appropriate moment, as requested by the couple.
Ms. Ross and Mr. Taylor, both 21 years old, attended a news conference on Wednesday in Atlanta where their attorneys revealed a lawsuit against Dr. St. Julian and Southern Regional Medical Centre, a Riverdale hospital.
Mr. Walsh alleged in graphic detail that staff had covered up the horrifying incident by, among other things, wrapping the baby's corpse in a blanket and propping his head up to make it appear that he was still attached.
According to him, medical personnel neglected to report the incident. According to the lawsuit, the couple did not learn what had happened to their son until they were making arrangements at the crematorium four days after his demise.
In a statement, the hospital's owner, Prime Healthcare Services, expressed its "deepest condolences to the family and all those affected by this tragic event."
The hospital stated, "Our commitment is to provide compassionate, high-quality care to every single patient, and this loss is heartbreaking." The hospital added that Dr. St. Julian was not an employee and that it had "taken appropriate action in response to this unfortunate circumstance."
The lawsuit asserts egregious negligence, fraud, and intentional emotional distress. It seeks unspecified compensatory damages in addition to the $10,000 funeral costs for the infant.
The attorneys for the couple have stated that the case highlights the higher neonatal mortality rates among black women. Dr. St. Julian has not yet filed a defense or made a public statement regarding the case.
