It has been reported that a doctor in California has been criminally charged with involuntary manslaughter arising from the death of a two-day-old infant after he allegedly administered a narcotic instead of an anesthetic prior to performing a circumcision. The parents also filed a medical malpractice wrongful death case against the doctor for the death of their newborn son.
According to reports, Dr. Hong-An Jan performed the circumcision on February 27, 2024 in his office. The parents allege in their wrongful death lawsuit that Dr. Jan intentionally administered Demerol, a narcotic, instead of Xylocaine, a local anesthetic typically used for circumcisions. Dr. Jan allegedly wrote in his medical report that he used the anesthetic but the toxicology report allegedly stated that the baby was found to have excessive levels of Demerol in his blood: “The administration of that narcotic was not disclosed to Plaintiffs, and its risks were concealed until the unveiling of an indictment, which, for the first time, disclosed the false records and wrong use of a narcotic sedative. The claims in this case are primarily based upon the intentional misconduct, unauthorized drug administration, deceit, concealment of material facts, and conscious disregard for the life and safety of a newborn child.”
The parents allege that their baby exhibited profound lethargy, an inability to accept feeding, and abnormal unresponsiveness, within hours of the circumcision procedure. The parents called Dr. Jan who allegedly told them to closely monitor their baby. When the baby’s condition worsened, the parents brought him to Dr. Jan’s office where Dr. Jan allegedly told the parents that there was no problem and they should take him home: “Jan only ‘looked’ at [Charles] and reassured [his parents] that these symptoms were ‘normal’ post-circumcision reactions and advised them to return home, … He did not take any blood samples or order any laboratory studies, even though he observed the symptoms … symptomatic of opiate substances.”
The baby fell asleep at about 11 p.m. but was found about four hours later to be cold to the touch, he was not breathing, and he was completely unresponsive. The parents rushed him to the hospital where doctors unsuccessfully tried to revive him; the baby was pronounced dead shortly after 4 a.m.
Police began investigating after the cause of death was determined to be bronchopneumonia due to acute Demerol intoxication. Dr. Jan pleaded not guilty on February 19, 2026. Dr. Jan’s medical license was reportedly suspended pending the outcome of the criminal charges.
If your child may be the victim of a botched circumcision in California or in another U.S. state, you should promptly seek the legal advice of a California medical malpractice attorney, or a malpractice attorney in your state, who may investigate your circumcision malpractice claim for you and represent you and your child in a medical malpractice case, if appropriate.
Click here to visit our website or call us toll-free in the United States at 800-295-3959 to be connected with medical malpractice lawyers in your state who may assist you.
Turn to us when you don’t know where to turn.
