Medical Malpractice Causing Cerebral Palsy & Quadrapelgia

This is to let my readers know about my type of cases as a Forensic Toxicologist.

Salem-News.com

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - Letters to Dr. Leveque from time to time, seek answers to questions that benefit a wide range of people. In addition to being a retired Osteopathic Physician, Phil Leveque is a Professor of Pharmacology, and one of the few Forensic Toxicologists in the United States.

This letter deals with a young boy who was born with Cerebral Palsy, and is a spastic quadriplegic. The question is whether the delay of an emergency c-section performed by doctors, contributed to the damage of the child's brain.

Dear Dr. Leveque,

My eldest child will be 30 in December and gave birth to her 3rd son September 14, 2004. She had been into the doctors office or hospital 13 times complaining of increasing pain, bleeding etc.

She was determined by ultrasound to be 7 weeks plus 1 day on January 22, 2004, so at that time she was 38+ weeks along- minimum by August.

She was having bleeding and cramping on August 26, an ultrasound showed the baby in cephalic pos on September 2nd she was kicked by a horse in the back and thrown across the pasture landing on stomach. An ultrasound showed echos suspicious of meconium in amniotic fluid, a 40 + 1 day and 8.5 lb of baby, that was her 5th trip to doc/hospital and requested induction.

She went to doc or hospital almost every day until September 13, when she threw a fit and insisted on being admitted to hospital, her placenta ruptured at 1:30 a.m. and Xayden was delivered by emergency C section at 4:57 a.m. he has CP and is a spastic quadriplegic.

I have been unable to find a doctor that is willing to give an opinion on whether a C section on September 2nd could have prevented damage to his brain or not. The anesthesiologist records emergency c section due to horse kick that had occurred 12 days prior?

If you can help or know of anyone that would be willing to please contact me

Thank you again for all your help.

Dee

MY RESPONSE

Dear Dee,

This is about the worst case of medical malpractice I have heard. If there was a "suspicion" of meconium in the amniotic fluid that in itself was a reason to do a c-section.

Meconium inhalation and pneumonia are drastic probabilities. Cerebral Palsy and Quadriplegia would be almost certain. He probably had total body sepsis with infection to the brain.

The laws in Oregon are that the same sort of doctor, in this case an obstetrician would be required for you and all OB's belong to the same drinking society.

This is a damn shame but I think my diagnosis is correct.

I hope your son is qualified for social security disability.

Best Wishes,

Dr. Leveque

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