A mother has filed a lawsuit against a Georgia hospital, alleging that her baby was decapitated during delivery last month. Jessica Ross, 20, claims that the Southern Regional Medical Center, located in Riverdale, attempted to conceal the circumstances surrounding the baby’s death from the family.
The legal complaint, filed in Clayton County, accuses the medical center of negligence and suggests an effort to hide the manner of the baby’s death from the mother and her boyfriend, Treveon Isaiah Taylor Sr. The baby, named after his father, was delivered at full term, according to the family attorney.
The cause of the baby’s death has not been released by the county medical examiner’s office, which is still completing the autopsy. according to the lawsuit, the delivering physician attempted various methods, including applying traction to the baby’s head, during a vaginal delivery.
The lawsuit alleges that the physician, in a failure to adhere to medical standards, applied excessive traction on the baby’s head and neck. Due to a condition known as shoulder dystocia, where a baby’s shoulders become stuck in the vaginal canal, the baby did not properly descend. The delay in performing a timely Cesarean section, as per the complaint, resulted in the decapitation and death of Treveon Isaiah Taylor Jr.
In response to the allegations, Southern Regional Medical Center denied any wrongdoing, stating that it refutes the claims made in the complaint. The family’s spokesperson, in a statement, mentioned that when the parents requested to see and hold their baby, hospital staff prohibited them from touching or holding the child. The family was only allowed to view their deceased child, whose decapitation was allegedly not visibly apparent due to how the baby was wrapped during the viewing.
The Clayton County Medical Examiner’s office is urging state officials to investigate the incident. Brian Byars, the office’s director, stated that they have contacted the Georgia Composite Medical Board to investigate the roles of three doctors involved and are notifying the Georgia Secretary of State Office Board of Nursing to investigate the nursing staff’s role.
Southern Regional Medical Center, citing patient privacy laws and HIPAA, stated they are unable to discuss specific patient care details. Expressing condolences, the medical center’s statement affirmed their commitment to providing compassionate care while acknowledging the tragic loss.
The physician involved in the delivery is not an employee of the hospital, according to the statement. The lawsuit, seeking a jury trial, alleges negligence by the defendants, including the medical center and the physician, Dr. Tracey St. Julian. Attempts to reach Dr. St. Julian at her private practice were unsuccessful.
The plaintiffs are seeking monetary damages, including compensation for the value of the baby’s life, such as loss of lifetime earnings, as well as funeral and burial costs. The county medical examiner’s office is expected to release a statement about its findings shortly.
