Tennessee Hospital Performed Procedure on Wrong Baby

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A Tennessee mother is planning to sue after she says the hospital where she gave birth accidentally performed a procedure on her newborn instead of on another baby.

Jennifer Melton, 31, of Hartsville, says a doctor did a frenulectomy — an incision in the tissue that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth — on her 1-day-old son, Nate Harper, after a nurse encouraged her to put Nate in the nursery for a few hours so Melton could get some rest.

"The nurse brought our son back into the room, and she began to explain the care process for the procedure that he had done while he was away," Melton told NBC News on Wednesday. "I was like, what are you talking about? What procedure? She called it 'tongue clipping.' I had never heard of it."

Tennessee Mom Says Hospital Performed Procedure on Wrong Baby - NBC News

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

While it's horrible that this happened, at least it was minor and not something like a circumcision!

I'm wondering, though, why the physician didn't look at his tongue and question why they were doing the procedure (unless, of course, that baby also had a tight frenulum, in which case, hopefully breastfeeding will be easier).

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
Clint Kelly, a malpractice attorney based in Nashville who is representing Melton and her family, told NBC News he had "never seen anything this outrageous."

He must be new if this is the most outrageous thing he's seen as a malpractice attorney!

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While it's horrible that this happened, at least it was minor and not something like a circumcision!

I'm wondering, though, why the physician didn't look at his tongue and question why they were doing the procedure (unless, of course, that baby also had a tight frenulum, in which case, hopefully breastfeeding will be easier).

That is what i was afraid of, when i read the headline...

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He must be new if this is the most outrageous thing he's seen as a malpractice attorney!

Actually licensed since 1993: Top Rated Hendersonville, TN Medical Malpractice Attorney | Clinton Kelly | Super Lawyers

Maybe things are slow medical malpractice wise in his neck of the woods?

Or maybe Mr. Kelly is like Melvin T. Palmer from Boston Legal? A get along type of guy who just wants to get paid and uses southern charm and bombastic behavior in the process. *LOL*

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I don't think this is lawsuit worthy, unless of course now baby is having issues related to this procedure.

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Specializes in Healthcare risk management and liability.
I don't think this is lawsuit worthy, unless of course now baby is having issues related to this procedure.

Oh, I see these sort of cases all the time, and they are indeed lawsuit or claim -worthy, at least in the minds of the patients and their counsel. This will clearly be a case for settlement, and a quiet settlement will no doubt be reached in the future. The major question is the issue of damages to the child, and that will drive the settlement amount. The fact that this was a 'never event' will drive up the damages somewhat.

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I don't think this is lawsuit worthy, unless of course now baby is having issues related to this procedure.

Well that is where you and infant Nate's mother differ. She has been on the warpath since the incident came to light and shows no signs of letting up. She has been on live and in the media since the story broke and clearly isn't going to let this go. Tennessee Mother Says Hospital Performed Unneeded Surgery on Her Baby : People.com

The incident is also pouring fuel on the debate about keeping infants in central nurseries at all, but rather shouldn't mini-nurseries in the mom's room be standard, period.

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In many of our local hospitals we have "baby friendly" status so the babies only leave the room to have a circ done. Everything else is done in the room. They seriously discourage the babies leaving, especially just for mom to get rest.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
The fact that this was a 'never event' will drive up the damages somewhat.

Absolutely, particularly if this is a TJC accredited facility. Universal Protocol is their single biggest patient safety initiative that they keep on their list every single year. Each year they come out with a list of initiatives they want to stress that year, and "wrong patient, wrong site" procedures (aka Universal Protocol) is ALWAYS on the list.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I'm mainly amazed that there is still a hospital where the baby leaves mom's side to go to a nursery, even just for a few hours. Is this hospital in Tennessee and also in the year 1950?

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Specializes in Critical Care, Float Pool Nursing.
I don't think this is lawsuit worthy, unless of course now baby is having issues related to this procedure.

I have to agree. This wasn't a major surgery... although a grave and inexcusable mistake, the event should not be a financial windfall to this mother. Why should she profit from this horrible mistake?

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