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Birth trauma: Mother claims hospital lost baby’s remains

On Behalf of | Aug 29, 2018 | Birth Injuries

Many mothers in Massachusetts and across the United States are opting for more control in the birth and delivery of their children when possible. When care is not taken with the mother and the unborn child during delivery, mothers and babies can suffer serious physical and emotional birth trauma. Sadly, one couple in another state is claiming emotional distress after a hospital allegedly lost their deceased child’s remains.

Due to developmental, genetic or unknown issues, some babies do not survive in their mother’s womb until full term. For one mother, her child died at 24 weeks gestation, but she still had to be admitted to the hospital to safely deliver her child. Her child was delivered the following day after her admittance to the hospital.

In order to gain answers to the many unknown questions concerning her child’s premature death, the mother requested an autopsy on her child. In addition, a request was made to transfer the child’s remains to a funeral home upon the autopsy’s completion. The transfer never occurred, and the hospital apparently lost the remains of the woman’s child. The family has filed a lawsuit claiming negligence and fraud in how the hospital handled the delicate situation, and the family claims to have suffered great mental anguish and emotional trauma because of the incident.

Pregnancy and childbirth can be complicated situations for many. When a hospital or physician mishandles any part of the process in the birth of a child, mothers and children can suffer serious physical and/or emotional birth trauma. Massachusetts attorneys are aware of the impact that a mishandled birth can have on a family and can advise individuals of their legal options after examining the evidence of a case.