Birth Defects Following Premature Birth Lead to $42.9M Award

A Philadelphia jury has awarded a family $42.9 million to resolve malpractice allegations regarding several complications experienced by an infant who was born through an emergency cesarean delivery after only 25 weeks gestation, according to a December 27, 2013, report from MyPhillyLawyer.com. Court documents indicated that the physicians treating the mother failed to admit her to a hospital in a timely manner and failed to administer intravenous steroids that would have protected the infant’s brain and respiratory development. The plaintiffs alleged that, as a result of negligence by two physicians, the child suffered “multiple physical and cognitive impairments” because of the premature birth and inadequate care provided by the physicians. The mother returned to the hospital four months after undergoing a routine ultrasound with complaints of pelvic pressure and was examined by one physician, who noted that the patient’s cervix had shortened to 1.13 centimeters and discovered an “excessive accumulation” of amniotic fluid that, according to the plaintiffs, created a high risk for preterm birth.