Newborn died within hours after doctor used ‘vacuum-assisted' delivery method, his ‘permanently wounded' parents claim
The lawsuit, filed May 29 against the doctor, unnamed nurses, Kessler Women's Healthcare and the Methodist Dallas Medical Center, claims they were negligent in trying to deliver the child vaginally in April 2024, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.
According to the suit, the boy, who was named Prime, died of internal brain bleeding caused by his delivery method, but may have lived if the doctor had performed a Cesarean section earlier, instead of attempting to deliver him via vacuum-assisted delivery.
The baby's parents, both teachers, headed to the hospital on April 4, 2024, when the 32-year-old mother's water broke, according to the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, the doctor the family had been seeing was not the one to deliver the baby.
While preparing to give birth, Prime's heart rate became abnormal and his mom was diagnosed with preeclampsia, a dangerous complication characterized by high blood pressure. She also had a 102.9 fever, according to the filing.
These risk factors, in addition to the baby's large head size and weight, meant the mother would likely have to receive a Cesarean section, the lawsuit claims.
However, instead of delivering the baby via C-section, the doctor decided to try vacuum-assisted delivery for a vaginal birth. The process involves using a suction-cup device that attaches to the baby's head to try and help the child down the birth canal, according to the lawsuit.
The doctor on call tried to deliver Prime four times, but the suction popped off twice, the family said.
The father 'recounted the very 'loud sound' produced by the pop-offs and noted that the force was so significant that it caused (the doctor) to push the chair backwards in the delivery room, suggesting that (she) exerted considerable force during the pulls,' the lawsuit says.
Once the newborn was delivered, he was taken to the neonatal intensive care unit.
When the mom saw what her son's neck looked like post-birth, 'she wanted to burst into tears,' the filing claims.
Prime 'suffered' for 24 hours before he died, according to the filing, which described those hours as a 'short life and prolonged death.'
The lawsuit claims the OB-GYN told the family their baby died from an E. coli infection he caught during labor. However, the doctor who conducted the autopsy found his real cause of death was brain hemorrhages from failed vacuum-assisted delivery.
'Permanently wounded, the couple for days, weeks and months have broken down and cried, often uncontrollably,' the lawsuit says. 'Prime's loss has haunted them with nightmares, sleeplessness and intrusive thoughts. Daily life was permanently altered for both, though, they will try to move forward.'
Another doctor who was conducting an independent review told the parents Prime may have been born 'healthy and whole' had a C-section been performed sooner, according to the filing.
The lawsuit blames the doctor and nurses for not recognizing the baby's distress during labor and taking the appropriate steps sooner.
The family also claims in the suit that the doctor never told them of the risks of vacuum-assisted delivery.
The couple is seeking damages, claiming negligence, lack of informed consent and their son's wrongful death, according to the report.
Methodist Health System said in a statement that it has a 'longstanding policy of not commenting on pending litigation.'
The doctor involved told The Dallas Morning News that she couldn't comment on specific patients, but said, 'I will simply say that I am committed to providing the highest quality medical care possible to my patients.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Being Fat Is Not A Moral Failure. Here's How To Teach Your Kids That.
Growing up in the '90s, Jessica Sprengle could name all the big fad diets of the day: Weight Watchers, Atkins, the South Beach diet, SlimFast ― you name it, her parents and other family members had tried it. Offhand comments about bodies, both hers and their own, were often made in her house, and weight gain rarely went unnoticed. 'I can distinctly remember one of my grandmothers asking me, at maybe 9 or 10, if I could believe 'how fat [she'd] gotten,'' Sprengle told HuffPost. 'Though it was never explicitly stated that my body was a problem or that I should do something to change my body, I internalized the message that being OK with my body was not an option and that I should always be working toward losing weight or pushing toward thinness.' All of this left Sprengle with the distinct impression that there was a moral component to weight gain: Fat was bad, and thin was very, very good. She internalized the notion that the health consequences that came with excessive weight gain ― high blood pressure, diabetes and other health issues ― were a direct result of a fat person's moral failure to take care of themselves and stay thin. Given the fixation on dieting in her house ― and how pronounced and pervasive fat shaming is in our culture ― it was almost inevitable that Sprengle would fall into disordered eating. 'Though I don't believe my eating disorder developed exclusively because of my family's penchant for dieting, I know that it played a role, just as genetics, neurobiology and trauma did,' she said. Now, as a licensed professional therapist specializing in treating eating disorders, Sprengle is quick to correct the idea that being fat is a kind of moral failing. 'I tell my clients that our culture is intensely fatphobic and very invested in their prejudice against those in fat bodies,' she said. 'Negative characteristics are often incorrectly attributed to people in fat bodies ― slovenliness, uncleanliness, low intelligence ― due exclusively to their size versus based in any real, true evidence.' As Sprengle's own story shows, negative conceptions about bodies ― unhealthy body standards, endless yo-yo dieting ― are often passed down from one generation to another. As a parent, how do you effectively get across to your child that 'fat' isn't a bad word and that weight fluctuation throughout life is entirely normal? Here's what experts like Sprengle say. Stop using moralizing language around food. Vanquish the words 'good' and 'bad' from your vocabulary when it comes to discussing the contents of your fridge. Let food be food and take its relative moral value out of the equation. 'Children are concrete thinkers, so labeling foods or bodies as 'good' or 'bad' or even an offhand comment such as 'I've been so bad lately' can have a lasting, detrimental impact.' said Jenny Weinar, a therapist specializing in disordered eating and body image concerns. It's important to encourage neutrality when it comes to food. Teach your kids that all foods can fit in a healthy diet, and that includes sugary foods or cultural holiday foods that are only served at your table every so often. 'No food should be strictly off-limits,' Sprengle said. 'When we restrict a child from eating certain foods, they will typically overdo it at some other time when they have access.' Be equally mindful of the words you use to talk about other people's bodies and how you respond to your children's casual but critical remarks about how others look. 'If they describe someone as fat, rather than correcting them or discouraging them from using that word, which only reinforces that fatness is a bad thing, use this as an opportunity to teach them about body diversity and celebrate the fact that there are all different kinds of bodies in the world,' Weinar said. If you're looking for a helpful visual aid to explain body diversity and why it's wrong to equate weight with health, Weinar recommends the popular YouTube clip 'Poodle Science.' Model acceptance and appreciation of your own body ― no matter your size. Every biting, self-chastising remark you make about your body echos through your child's head. So do the disdained glances you make in the mirror when trying on something that's far back in your closet. But if you speak lovingly of your body, that leaves a mark, too. Your child learns how to relate to their bodies by watching how you relate to yours, so be mindful of your words, Weinar said. 'Imagine the impact it could have for your child to see you celebrating all the amazing things your body can do, nourishing your body in ways that are pleasurable and honor your culture, and engaging in movement that feels joyful and life-giving, rather than berating yourself and starting one punishing diet after another,' she said. Instead of hiding behind a cover-up at the beach, wear your swimsuit unapologetically, Weinar said. Order that side of chili cheese fries without saying things like, 'Ugh, diet starts tomorrow.' If you embrace your body exactly how it is in this moment, you'll lay the groundwork for your children to embrace their whole selves, too. 'Work on healing your own relationship to food and body, and your children will be better off for it,' Weinar said. Don't comment on your kids' weight, even if you're trying to compliment them. It probably doesn't need to be said that negative comments about your child's weight fluctuation are counterproductive and can aggravate weight and body issues. But interestingly, researchers have actually found that any comments ― even well-intentioned comments about slimming down ― are detrimental to young girls' well-being. The Cornell University researchers who conducted the study didn't make a distinction between positive and negative comments, but they found that any comment a girl remembered hearing about her weight led to lower satisfaction with her body as an adult, even if she wasn't overweight. That particular study was focused on girls and women, but other research shows that boys are not immune to body image worries. While girls strive to be thin or lose weight, teen boys typically become dissatisfied with their bodies if they're not tall and muscular, according to a 2015 study published in the journal Adolescent Health, Medicine and Therapeutics. So how should you talk about weight if you're concerned about your child's health? You can point them in the right direction without saying a word. Experts recommended serving nutritious foods at home, making fresh fruits and veggies easily accessible in your kitchen and integrating physical activity into family life. Remind them that weight gain and weight loss is often something we can't control. Without guidance, a child can easily default to thinking that 'thin = automatically healthy' and 'fat = unhealthy.' Explain to them that there's sometimes more to someone's health profile than meets the eye, said Michelle Elman, a body positivity speaker and the author of 'Am I Ugly? One Woman's Journey to Body Positivity.' 'That 'fat = unhealthy, thin = healthy' way of thinking negates the times people lose weight because they are depressed or coping with grief or when they take medication and that creates weight gain,' Elman said. Have kid-level conversations in which you work through ― and hopefully dismantle ― the stereotype that fat people are unsuccessful and lazy or lack willpower. Teach them that weight is something that fluctuates across your lifespan and that gaining weight isn't something to beat yourself up over. 'All of this revolves around the idea that weight is something that we can control, and while there are certainly some aspects that can be controlled, not all variables are within personal responsibility,' Elman said. Surround them with body diversity Lastly, talk positively about bodies of all shapes, sizes, races and abilities or disabilities. To belabor a point you've probably heard a million times by now, representation matters: Watch TV shows and movies that depict all types of people and all different kinds of bodies. Read picture books that are inclusive and diverse without necessarily being about the importance of diversity. If you have teens, encourage them to follow influencers and models who actually look like them so that their social media feed isn't an infinite scroll of rail-thin white women. 'The bottom line is, you want to make sure your child is watching media that accurately represents the world and talks positively of different kinds of people so that their perception of beauty is not so narrow,' Elman said. Related... You Really, Really Should Never Comment On Your Child's Weight What Kids Hear When You Criticize Your Body In Front Of Them Fatphobia Is Ruining My Female Friendships
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Siblings Who Grow Up Together Can Have Vastly Different Childhoods. Here's Why
Hearing your siblings describe their childhood can sometimes be a little jarring. You may even get the sense that you didn't grow up on the same planet, much less in the same house. 'Despite having shared early experiences, it's not uncommon for siblings to have experienced their childhood in a very different way,' said Genevieve von Lob, a clinical psychologist and author of 'Happy Parent, Happy Child.' It turns out this is normal ― and for a good reason. Below, experts break down this phenomenon. Siblings are usually born into different circumstances. The family circumstances a child is born into often differ from when their younger sibling arrives. For example, economic changes may make siblings feel like their childhoods weren't the same. 'Significant changes in family financial status can impact differences in extracurricular activities, schooling, vacations, and other material aspects of childhood between siblings,' said Keneisha Sinclair-McBride, a clinical psychologist at Boston Children's Hospital in Massachusetts. 'These things are very tangible and can feel 'unfair,' even though they are often just a product of changes in circumstances.' Emotional shifts in parents can play a significant role as well. For example, siblings are often born at different phases in their parents' lives, so they might be treated differently. 'Parents may show up very differently for each of their children depending on where they are in their own lives, including their own mental health and stress levels, their significant partnership, support network, work and financial commitments, and whether they have more than one child,' von Lob said. She noted that parenting might feel overwhelming to someone highly sensitive, as their nervous systems become overstimulated more quickly. 'If they have more than one child, other stressors in their lives, or if they haven't had enough sleep and time alone to recharge their batteries, then they can become more drained, anxious, irritated and frazzled,' von Lob said. 'So differences in the way a child is parented can also be influenced by the temperament of the parent and where the parent is emotionally in their lives.' Thus, birth order can impact your perception of your parents. 'Siblings born years apart are quite literally born from parents who themselves are years apart from who they were during the earlier or later pregnancy,' noted Dr. Kevin Simon, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Boston Children's Hospital and chief behavioral health officer for the city of Boston. As parents get more experience raising children, they inevitably evolve in their caregiving style. 'Some parents are more unsure and cautious with their first child and more sure of themselves with subsequent siblings,' Sinclair-McBride said. 'This can make older and younger siblings' experiences different.' Parents may recognize that certain approaches they took with their first child weren't ideal and adjust accordingly. 'Maybe the older sibling was treated more harshly, but the parents readjusted their parenting style and were more compassionate with their parenting moving forward with a younger sibling,' said parenting educator Laura Linn Knight. 'An older sibling also may have experienced or witnessed more than the younger sibling, such as a divorce, so this can affect the way they see themselves in the family dynamic.' Birth order can also shape the way a child perceives and interacts with their parents. 'For example, the oldest child is often expected to take on more responsibilities and look after younger siblings, so may have different expectations placed on them,' von Lob said. 'In this way, they may have a very different experience of their childhood. Younger siblings may have a parent who feels more experienced and therefore may be more relaxed but may have less time to give that child than the firstborn.' How parents respond to their kids' differing personalities also plays a role. 'All siblings are unique individuals ― including twins,' Sinclair-McBride said. 'Having their own personality styles, traits, and characteristics may cause siblings to interpret or experience the same situations or parenting differently. In turn, these differences may impact the way they are parented, connect to their parents and experience their family.' One child may share certain interests and personality traits with one or both parents, while another sibling has more of their own distinct personality and interests. So if one kid is passionate about that same sport or team their parent loves, they may forge a specific bond around that activity. 'Sometimes, a child's personality traits can bring out different sides of their parents, and parents may relate to a child's personality more than another child, which can be seen as favoritism,' Knight said. 'Because of personality traits of the child and parent, you find that parents respond differently to each child or enjoy spending more time with a child that is easier for them to communicate with and enjoy the company of. When we look at differences in personality, temperament, needs and interests of parents and children, it is easy to see that siblings will have their own unique experience.' Even parents with the best intentions don't respond to each child similarly. Factors like personality, past experiences and even societal expectations around gender roles can color each interaction. While some kids are more extroverted and crave attention, others can be more reserved and less open about what they want. 'The gender, personality, needs, mannerisms and behavior of each particular child can trigger parents in different ways, which can result in a sibling who is treated very differently to the other children,' von Lob said. She noted that a parent may find their strong-willed, highly sensitive child more demanding and difficult to manage than their laidback, easy-tempered child ― which can lead to very different interactions over those childhood years. Siblings' reactions to and reflections on the same experience can differ. 'Depending on the personality, temperament, and characteristics we're born with, our parents will respond to those differences,' said clinical psychologist and author Jenny Yip. 'Siblings are different individuals who will also respond to their parents differently.' She noted that no two individuals think the same way about a situation. Thus, siblings can have different emotional responses to similar experiences. This is true for how they feel during childhood and as adults looking back. 'It's just like eyewitness accounts,' Yip said. 'You have 10 people who all saw the same thing, but depending on belief system, attitude, and values, they're going to interpret the same incident differently. Another example is like watching a movie. Everyone in the room watches the same movie, but what each person takes from it and relates to it is going to be different depending on your values, attitudes, and belief system. It's the same with siblings who share the same parents.' Siblings can disagree about shared experiences. For example, one may have been more affected by a particularly positive or traumatic event that they both lived through. Or they may simply have a different impression of whether something was positive or negative at all. 'One sibling may have loved the village they grew up in, but the other sibling found it stifling,' von Lob said. 'One sibling may have loved the camping holidays in the countryside, but the other sibling found it boring and remembers wanting to go abroad.' This is not necessarily a bad thing. 'It is normal and expected for siblings to have different experiences with their parents,' Simon said. 'This is neither good nor bad in and of itself. It is a natural result of each sibling's unique personality, experiences, and perspective.' Indeed, the fact that you and your siblings grew up in the same home but had very different perceptions of your childhoods does not necessarily indicate a problem. 'Children do not have to be treated exactly the same at all times to be treated equitably,' Sinclair-McBride said. 'Because each individual is unique, they have unique needs and experiences. If those needs were met with love and support, slight differences in treatment do not have to be a cause for alarm for parents or siblings.' Still, the reality is that you and your siblings have different impressions of your childhood, and your parents may feel uncomfortable. That's where talking about it can help. 'Siblings need to recognize and respect each other's differences in how they perceive and relate to their parents,' Simon said. 'Siblings can learn to appreciate and value each other's perspectives, even if they disagree.' Although these differences are natural and understandable, processing them is still helpful. In addition, there might be some negative feelings that warrant addressing. 'If one or more siblings feel that there was unfair and unequal treatment in their childhoods, working through this together can be very beneficial to their relationships,' Sinclair-McBride said. 'Giving one's siblings grace to explain their experiences without judgment and defensiveness can help with perspective-taking and compassion. Trying to change other people's perceptions of their experiences is a futile exercise. Working through one's own experiences can be healing.' Related... 24 Hilarious Comics About Sibling Relationships 35 Too-Real Tweets About The Things Siblings Fight Over 43 Photos Of Adopted Siblings That Show Family Is About Love, Not DNA
%3Amax_bytes(150000)%3Astrip_icc()%2FTAL-lead-image-SICKPILOT0825-8bc4688e28e243a1911be2b27a58e22e.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Travel + Leisure
27 minutes ago
- Travel + Leisure
What Happens When a Pilot Gets Sick or Dies Mid-flight?
Commercial pilots may fly 900,000-pound jumbo jets with hundreds of passengers on board, but that doesn't make them superhuman. Like us, they have immune systems that sometimes falter. While it's uncommon for pilots to get sick or hurt on the job, it's not unheard of. And rarely, they pass away mid-flight. Just last year, a Turkish Airlines flight from Seattle to Istanbul was forced to make an emergency landing in New York when its 59-year-old pilot collapsed and died a few hours into the 12-hour flight. Thankfully, these unfortunate incidents seldom lead to accidents or even situations that affect passengers—here's what happens when a pilot gets sick mid-flight. It's important to note that most sick pilots never make it onto the flight in the first place. 'This is because we assess our 'Fitness to Fly' prior to each flight,' explains Adam Cohen, a captain at SkyWest Airlines. While it's not a comprehensive guide, the FAA's pre-flight health checklist for pilots is called the IMSAFE Checklist. The letters stand for illness, medication, stress, alcohol, fatigue, and emotion. If a pilot doesn't feel 100 percent in any category, or they've been impacted by medication or alcohol consumption, they should refrain from flying and notify their doctor. Furthermore, in order to fly commercial planes carrying more than six passengers, all pilots need a medical certificate, issued by an official Aviation Medical Examiner. This certificate ensures they're physically and mentally healthy, and it's only good for 6-12 months, depending on the pilot's age. Pilots must be seen by a doctor regularly, and they can't be morbidly obese or have substance abuse issues. Despite the FAA and airlines' best efforts to ensure commercial pilots are healthy—they even feed them different meals to prevent the entire flight deck from suffering from food poisoning—pilots occasionally fall ill during a flight they're working. However, this doesn't necessarily mean it's a mayday situation. 'If a pilot becomes sick or incapacitated in flight, the other pilot is fully qualified to take over and safely operate the aircraft,' explains Rock Saddy, a pilot and liaison for Cirrus Aviation Services. 'Commercial flights always have at least two trained pilots on the flight deck, and in some cases, particularly long-haul routes, a relief pilot may also be on board.' In addition to keeping passengers comfortable, flight attendants are trained to assist in medical emergencies. And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. aircrafts with one or more flight attendants on board are required to have a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved automated external defibrillator on board as well as a first aid kit, plus an emergency medical kit containing certain medications you wouldn't find in a first aid kit. Saddy tells Travel + Leisure that many airlines also have 24/7 access to services such as MedLink that connect flight crews with emergency room doctors via phone, satellite, or radio. If the pilot is seriously ill, the trained doctor will instruct the pilot taking over to divert to the nearest appropriate airport so the sick pilot can receive medical attention. Most frequent fliers can recall a time when they were on a flight and the crew asked passengers who were doctors or nurses to volunteer to assist in the event of a medical emergency. Because this happens rather frequently (although it's most often a fellow passenger, not the pilot, who needs help), the Aviation Medical Assistance Act, which passed in 1998, includes a section that protects medical personnel from being sued for providing 'good-faith' medical care in the event of an emergency. However, this only applies to domestic flights within the U.S. It may not cover you on an international flight. And if you've been consuming alcohol, you could be liable for misconduct or negligence. Ultimately, whether or not you step forward to assist is up to you, so read up on the regulations before you travel.
