The parents of a newborn who died soon after delivery are suing a Connecticut OB/GYN, alleging he used a vacuum 15 times to try to extract the baby, resulting in his death.
Parents Danielle Mackenzie and Fabrice Diaz filed the suit in Bridgeport against Greenwich Hospital, the Westchester Medical Group (now Summit Health) and Dr. Jay Matut in the death of their son, Alexander M. Diaz, on Feb. 18.
Mackenzie was 40 weeks and three days pregnant when she and Diaz arrived at Greenwich Hospital on Feb. 17 to deliver her baby after a normal pregnancy, the complaint said. Once she was fully dilated 20 hours later, the doctor had her push for more than 90 minutes, upon which he decided to deploy the vacuum.
He proceeded to do that 12 times, persisting even after the device popped off the baby’s head twice, according to the complaint obtained by the Connecticut Post. Then he had Mackenzie push for another half hour, after which he applied the vacuum three more times before giving her an episiotomy, a cut to widen the opening, enabling the baby to be delivered.
At no point did he appear to consider a C-section, even when Mackenzie asked for it, the complaint states.
The newborn was limp and did not cry, according to the lawsuit. Alexander’s head was also swollen “consistent with a subgaleal hemorrhage,” bleeding between his scalp and his skull.
Rushed to the neonatal intensive care unit in critical condition and intubated, Alexander died at 10:58 p.m. on Feb. 18 after being transferred Yale New Haven Hospital.
The defendants “acted with disregard to the infant’s well-being,” an obstetrician who reviewed the medical records said in the suit, according to the Connecticut Post. Matut should have known that it was risky to keep applying the vacuum, they said.
Mackenzie and Diaz are suing for negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress, recklessness and other alleged transgressions and are seeking punitive damages and other costs.
As of Wednesday, the defendants had not yet responded in court.
“Greenwich Hospital is aware of this lawsuit and is committed to providing the safest and highest quality of care possible,” a spokesperson told The Hartford Courant. “While we are unable to comment on pending litigation, we have offered our deepest condolences to the family.”
