Texas Family’s Newborn Daughter Dies After Misuse of Forceps During Delivery

Recently, a family in Texas experienced a tragedy when their newborn daughter died five days after her birth, allegedly due to the misuse of forceps by the doctor involved in her delivery.

The baby’s mother claims that she had a normal pregnancy and that the baby’s fatal injury did not occur until the birth. Before Christmas, she and the baby’s father asked their doctor, George Backardjiev of The Medical Center of Southeast Texas, to perform a Caesarian due to the baby’s large size. The baby weighed seven pounds, 14.9 ounces and was 22 inches long, while her mother was less than five feet tall and weighed 95 pounds before her pregnancy. However, Dr. Backardjiev allegedly refused, claiming that a Caesarian section would leave a scar.

So the mother waited until her water broke. During the 18 hours of labor before the delivery, she ran a fever of 103 degrees. Dr. Backardjiev then appeared to aid with the delivery, and when he learned that the baby was face up, he allegedly tried to turn her with his hands. When that did not work, Dr. Backardjiev allegedly used a pair of small forceps to force the baby out. The mother claims that Dr. Backardjiev kept twisting and turning, and at one point even put his foot up on the bed to try and get the baby out. The parents claim to have finally heard a popping sound, like “clay cracking in pottery.”

The baby was eventually delivered by Caesarian section on December 28, but by then, the parents claim that it was too late. The baby never cried and was not breathing. Although she was transferred to Houston’s Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, the hospital staff could not save her life. Later, doctors at The Medical Center of Southeast Texas allegedly told the parents that the baby suffered from “numerous” fractures to the skull.

The grieving parents now want to see that “justice” is done on their daughter’s behalf, though they stress that their complaint is with the doctor only, not the hospital. Meanwhile, many question the use of forceps in this situation when vacuum extraction has become common. While one expert thought that forceps should not be abandoned completely — since when used correctly, they can save a baby’s life — she noted that forceps delivery takes skill and practice, something that most young physicians lack.

After donating their baby’s organs, it is unknown what steps the baby’s parents will take next. Many in their situation end up filing a medical malpractice lawsuit against the physician and/or hospital. If you live in Washington D.C. or Baltimore and your baby was injured or killed through misuse of forceps, contact a Baltimore birth injury attorney today.

Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman has more than 100 years of collective experience dealing with medical malpractice and birth injury cases. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, the firm represents residents in Maryland and Washington, D.C. If you have a birth injury or other medical malpractice issue, contact us today for a free consultation.