Oftentimes, things don’t always go according to plan when it comes to childbirth. Tragically, birth trauma and stillbirth affect families every day. However, one Georgia couple suffered an unimaginable loss when their baby not only died during delivery but also was decapitated during an attempt to dislodge him from the birth canal.
The incident, which happened in July 2023, was recently declared a homicide. Let's take a closer look at the medical examiner's findings and what this means for the bereaved parents and the lawsuit they filed against the doctor and hospital.
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The couple's son died in July 2023.
On July 9, 2023, Jessica Ross and Treveon Isaiah Taylor Sr.'s son, Treveon Isaiah Taylor Jr., died during his birth. His shoulder got stuck in the vaginal canal, and although Ross pushed for three hours, she was unable to deliver vaginally. Her obstetrician allegedly “negligently applied excessive force on the baby’s head and neck during the attempted vaginal delivery,” causing decapitation, a statement from the plaintiff team reads, per Law & Crime.
The hospital allegedly tried to cover up the decapitation.
A statement from the family's representative revealed that Ross and Taylor “demanded to see and hold their baby," however, "hospital staff told them that they were not allowed to touch or hold their child," CNN reported.
The statement continued: “During this viewing, their baby was wrapped tightly in a blanket with his head propped on top of his body in a manner such that those viewing him could not identify that he had been decapitated."
A medical examiner ruled the baby's death a homicide.
The Clayton County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the baby's death a homicide on February 6. The report listed Ross' son's cause of death as “fracture-dislocation with complete transection, upper cervical (C1-C2) spine and spinal cord,” due to “shoulder dystocia, arrest of labor, and fetal entrapment in the birth canal," CNN reported.
Contributing conditions included pregnancy-induced diabetes and premature rupture of membranes, according to the news outlet.
Ross filed a lawsuit in August.
Ross filed a fraud and negligence lawsuit against Southern Regional Medical Center, People reported. She alleged in the filing that the doctor “grossly” and “negligently applied excessive traction” on her baby’s head and neck.
Additionally, she accused the doctor of not performing a C-section “in a timely and proper manner." The surgical procedure wasn't complete until roughly 3 a.m. July 10.
The hospital has denied the allegations.
In a statement, Southern Regional Medical Center “denies the allegations in the complaint referencing the hospital,” People reported.
“Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the family and all those impacted by this tragic event,” the medical center’s statement continued. “Our prayers also remain with the dedicated team of physicians, nurses and staff at Southern Regional Medical Center who cared for this patient. Our commitment is to provide compassionate, quality care to every single patient, and this loss is heartbreaking.”
