A Spartanburg County South Carolina medical malpractice jury awarded $16 million for the death of a newborn shortly after birth that the jury found would have been avoided had the medical staff provided timely and appropriate medical care during labor and delivery.
The mother arrived at the hospital when she was at 39 weeks of pregnancy. There were signs of fetal distress shortly after her arrival at the hospital, but the on-call doctor allegedly failed to appear at bedside and failed to review the fetal monitoring strips that allegedly showed the fetal distress.
The next day, one of the doctors began administering Pitocin and broke the mother’s water in anticipation of delivery. There was meconium staining that was indicative of possible fetal distress. During the administration of Pitocin, the fetal monitoring strips reportedly continued to show Category 2 fetal distress, which the nurse communicated to the doctor but the doctor did not order an increase of the Pitocin until forty minutes later. Nonetheless, the labor was not progressing and the fetal monitoring showed signs of decelerations of the baby’s heartbeat shortly after midnight.
After having been in the hospital for 29 hours, an emergency Cesarean delivery was performed but by that time it was too late to save the baby from suffering a brain injury and organ failure. The baby died shortly after being delivered.
The plaintiff’s South Carolina medical malpractice lawyer stated after the jury returned its verdict in favor of the plaintiff, “This verdict sends a powerful message that negligence causing devastating injury has serious consequences. No amount can fully restore what our client has lost, but this jury has taken a critical step toward justice and accountability.”
Pitocin Label
“Pitocin is indicated for the initiation or improvement of uterine contractions, where this is desirable and considered suitable for reasons of fetal or maternal concern, in order to achieve vaginal delivery. It is indicated for (1) induction of
labor in patients with a medical indication for the initiation of labor, such as Rh problems, maternal diabetes, preeclampsia at or near term, when delivery is in the best interests of mother and fetus or when membranes are prematurely ruptured and delivery is indicated; (2) stimulation or reinforcement of labor, as in selected cases of uterine inertia; … All patients receiving intravenous oxytocin must be under continuous observation by trained personnel who have a thorough knowledge of the drug and are qualified to identify complications. A physician qualified to manage any complications should be immediately available. Electronic fetal monitoring provides the best means for early detection of overdosage … Pitocin, when given for induction of labor or augmentation of uterine activity, should be administered only by the intravenous route and with adequate medical supervision in a hospital … Except in unusual circumstances, oxytocin should not be administered in the following conditions: fetal distress…” (emphasis added).
If you or a loved one have suffered serious harm as a result of a birth injury in South Carolina or in another U.S. state, you should promptly find a South Carolina medical malpractice lawyer, or a medical malpractice lawyer in your state, who may investigate your birth injury medical malpractice claim for you and represent you or your loved one in a birth injury medical malpractice case, if appropriate.
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