Doctor Left Baby for Dead, Claims Lawsuit

A medical malpractice lawsuit filed in Tennessee revealed that a doctor left a newborn baby for dead in a plastic bag and only when a passing nurse noticed that the baby was alive was treatment provided. The baby was born early on June ’13, 2009, apparently fighting for his life, with gasping breaths and an irregular heartbeat. The doctor is charged with failing to treat the infant, deciding on his own that the baby had no chance of survival.

The baby suffered a brain injury and other injuries. The lawsuit claims that the doctor failed to provide “timely and appropriate diagnosis, intervention, treatment, and care.”

After being resuscitated, the baby was transferred to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, where he received specialized care for three months. The doctor involved is no longer practicing at NorthCrest Medical Center in Robertson, and has let his medical license lapse. This is the first malpractice claim filed against him, according to Tennessee Department of Health records.

Source: The Tennessean, “Lawsuit claims Robertson doctor neglected newborn“, Dec. 22, 2011.