SAN FRANCISCO, February 14, (THEWILL) – A doctor at the University Medical Center in Lebanon, near Nashville, has mistakenly operated on another new-born baby instead of the one who was scheduled for an operation.
According to CNN affiliate WTVF, the Melton family, from Tennessee delivered a healthy baby boy named, Nate, at the hospital and are outraged that a doctor mistakenly performed tongue-clipping surgery on their son.
Soon after his birth, Jennifer Melton, Nate’s mother, thought he was going for a routine checkup. But when he was returned she broke down crying hysterically when she found out what happened to her baby.
Her baby boy had undergone a procedure called a frenulectomy, where the flap of skin under the child’s tongue is cut. The procedure is done when the flap of skin is too tight and can cause feeding and speech problems. The little boy did not need the procedure.
“At that point the nurse started to mention the procedure they had done,” his mom, Jennifer Melton, told WTVF.
“Essentially they took our child who was healthy from the room and cut his mouth,” Jennifer said. “At that point I began to cry hysterically.”
“It’s recklessness. There’s no excuse for cutting on a healthy child. There’s no excuse for mixing up babies at a hospital,” Clint Kelly, the family’s attorney, told WTVF.
The doctor, whose name was not reported, is said to have admitted his mistake, writing in a progress report: “I had asked for the wrong infant.
I had likely performed the procedure on an infant different than the one I intended to and I admitted my mistake and apologized.”
“We don’t know if the child will have speech problems or eating problems,” Kelly said worried about the babies’ future.
The hospital declined to comment specifically on what happened, citing federal privacy regulations but released a statement saying: “We can confirm that we take seriously any concerns brought to our attention, and those matters are reviewed pursuant to the hospital’s medical staff by-laws.
“If made aware of a concern, we promptly seek to address it and take action as appropriate to prevent any future concerns.”
Story by David Oputah
