Forceps delivery allegedly crushed baby’s skull, caused death: report

Forceps delivery allegedly crushed baby’s skull, caused death: report

Olivia's parents are now campaigning for the passage of "The Olivia Law."

Olivia Marie Coats died due to a forceps delivery that crushed her skull and caused death, alleges her family, according to a report from ABCNews.com.

The parents reportedly plan to sue their obstetrician, Dr. George T. Backardjiev, but not the hospital (The Medical Center of Southeast Texas) where their daughter was born.

“We’re not mad at hospital, this is not their fault. It is one man’s fault,” Olivia’s grandmother, Angie Coats, told ABCNews.com. “We only want justice for Olivia; we want the person responsible, which is the doctor. We don’t want the hospital being shunned. The hospital is great. The nurses were wonderful. It’s not their fault.”

According to Coats, her daughter asked Dr. Backardjiev to perform a C-section because of the baby’s size (she weighed 7 lbs, 14.9 oz at birth), but he allegedly said, “No, you don’t want a C-section. You’ll have a scar.”

Eventually delivered by emergency C-section, Coats explained to ABCNews.com that Dr. Backardjiev tried unsuccessfully to pull Olivia out using forceps until “we heard a pop, like clay cracking in pottery and heard her skull crush.” Following the emergency C-section on December 28, Olivia was transferred alive to Houston’s Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital with severe injuries.

The following message was posted by Olivia’s parents via Facebook shortly after their baby girl died on January 2:

“Our lil princess has went to heaven this is the hardest part I hurt so much inside and I know my baby girl would want me to stay strong for her and everyone so she put peace in my heart most people don’t get to say goodbye we did and we’re great full for that we will never forget her for she will change someone’s life for the better.”

The CEO of The Medical Center of Southeast Texas said in a statement that the hospital has begun a review of the case.

Olivia’s family doesn’t want other families to be devastated by a similar experience and has launched a Facebook campaign to make people aware of what happened to their daughter. The page has garnered 70,000 likes as of Saturday morning. The family has also launched a gofundme fundraiser to help them with all of the medical and funeral costs. The campaign has raised more than $6,000 and has a $20,000 goal.

The Houston Chronicle reports that Allen and Rachel, Olivia’s parents, are now campaigning for the passage of “The Olivia Law,” which would prohibit the utilization of forceps during birth.

Who is to blame in this situation? The doctor? The hospital? Start a conversation by sharing your thoughts in the comments section.

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