It is not a mother’s responsibility to determine what medical procedures should be performed during the birth of her child in an Oregon hospital. Every pregnant woman relies on her medical team to know how to keep her and her baby safe. A tragedy occurred in a hospital in another state in 2020 that has resulted in an agreement between an obstetrician (OB) and the state medical board, wherein the doctor has promised never to perform or participate in obstetrical deliveries again.
The OB in question was reportedly scheduled to catch a flight for a personal vacation the same day that one of his patients was admitted to the hospital to deliver her baby. The health conditions of the mother and infant were both listed as normal, and the medical team who was assisting in the birth said there were no complications, although the woman’s labor was slowly progressing. Witnesses have stated that the OB mentioned several times that he had a plane to catch.
The doctor gave the parents options
At one point, the OB is said to have told the parents that he had to catch a plane, and they could either have another doctor finish the delivery or he could use forceps to extract their infant from the womb. It’s understandable that the average parent would not know the implications of either option, especially whether there would be an increased risk for birth injuries. As many parents would likely do, the parents in this case told their doctor to do whatever he thought was best for the mother and child.
The results of the doctor’s decision were disastrous
The doctor made several unsuccessful attempts to deliver the baby with forceps, even though the infant’s umbilical cord was prolapsed, which is an emergency situation requiring a C-section. Another doctor was summoned to assist and said that the woman’s OB told him to do the C-section because he had to leave for the airport. The prolapsed cord caused oxygen deprivation to the baby’s brain, and CPR was needed when the child was delivered. The parents filed a lawsuit against the first OB in a civil court after learning that continuing to attempt a forceps delivery when a cord is prolapsed can cause severe brain injury or worse.