$2.0 Million for Developmental Delays for One Twin Due to Birth Asphyxia and Medical Errors and Delayed C-section Delivery

Detroit, Michigan Lawyer Specializing in Developmental Delays from Birth Injury

Plaintiff, pregnant with twins began prenatal care at approximately 25 weeks.  All ultrasound testing showed a healthy pregnancy. Plaintiff-Mother presented at approximately 38 weeks to the hospital with contractions.  During the labor, the continuous electronic fetal monitoring was not working for a majority of the time.  Plaintiff-Mother was not informed of this nor given the option of a C-section.  When she was completely dilated she was taken to the OR for a vaginal delivery.  It was routine at this hospital to perform twin deliveries in the OR.  She was given a C-section dose rather than the dose of anesthesia appropriate for a vaginal delivery.  This caused maternal hypotension (low blood pressure), non-reassuring fetal heart tones, numbness of plaintiff from the belly button down, and delay in her delivery.  Plaintiff was not informed of the anesthesia error.  Defendants sent her back to the labor floor to allow the anesthesia to wear off. An hour and 40 minutes later Plaintiff was taken back to the OR for vaginal delivery and Twin A was born with mild metabolic acidosis.  Twin B’s membranes ruptured 12 minutes after delivery of Twin A and a cord prolapse was diagnosed (an obstetrical emergency where the cord exits the mother before the baby and becomes compressed, cutting off oxygen and blood to the baby). An emergency C-section was ultimately called in the OR but took an additional 18 minutes to perform.  The typed operative report which would explain the events of the prolapse could not be found. Twin B, plaintiff-minor, suffered from mild developmental delays including speech deficits.  He can walk and run and to date, head imaging is normal.