Recently, an Oregon woman filed a lawsuit against Portland Adventist Medical Center and one of the hospital’s nurses after the woman’s newborn son suffocated in a hospital bed. According to the lawsuit, a hospital nurse brought the newborn to the mother’s hospital room to breastfeed in the middle of the night. The nurse placed the infant on the mother’s bed and left them unattended. Approximately three hours earlier, the mother, who had delivered the baby by cesarean section, was given narcotic pain medication and sleep aids. An hour later, the mother noticed that her son was unresponsive and called for a nurse. After emergency care, the baby was stabilized and placed on life support. The infant underwent a full evaluation and treatment for six days. After a battery of tests, doctors determined that the infant had suffered severe hypoxia and his brain was severely and permanently damaged. The family later agreed to terminate life support and the newborn passed away at ten days old. The family is seeking more than $8 million in economic and non-economic damages.
In late October 2016, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) announced new safe sleep recommendations to protect against sleep-related infant deaths. AAP recommendations on creating a safe sleep environment include placing the infant on his or her back on a firm sleep surface such as a crib or bassinet with a tight-fitting sheet and avoiding the use of soft bedding, including crib bumpers, blankets, pillows and soft toys. AAP also recommends having infants share a bedroom with parents, but not the same sleeping surface, for at least the first six months.
If you or someone you know has been injured as a result of a hospital’s negligence, contact an attorney at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner today by calling (713) 222-7211 or 713-222-7211 for your free consultation.