The following documents pertain to the incident case that started this entire matter. As stated in the Petition for Vacatur in 2015, the loss of this baby was tragically due to an extremely rare umbilical cord event, which none of my colleagues had even heard or known of. No Obstetrical textbook available had any mention of this (potentially) devastating circulatory insult to the newborn. Only when looking in the definitive Textbook on Neonatology did I finally find an official description and recognition of what happened in this case. I would then go on to find a number of other references in the world literature.
This umbilical cord/circulatory insult has been labeled by Avery's Textbook of the Neonate as "Tight Nuchal Cord with Placental Blood Trapping". (nuchal cord meaning "cord around the baby's neck) I share these various documents that support the facts of this case namely for other Obstetricians who ought to be aware of this real threat to certain newborns at risk and why the standard practice of doubly clamping and cutting a tight nuchal cord upon delivery of the head is NOT the prudent thing to do, (and something I have never done, even in this case). ALL babies with a tight nuchal cord can have the anterior shoulder readily delivered and the cord slipped down the length of the baby as the body delivers. Yet, even in this 2001 case, the loss of blood due to this poorly understood circulatory phenomenon within a tight nuchal cord was that massive for this baby.
This case was truly sad and something that ought to be widely known by all practicing Obstetricians. Nevertheless, I was truly blessed to go on to deliver this woman's next two children, since even she and her family knew the Truth of what happened that fateful day - that it was a fluke of nature and nothing whatsoever to do with her doctor or his use of forceps at her delivery.
Lab and Autopsy Reports (redacted)
Avery's Textbook Reference
The definitive journal article
Additional journal reference - 1
Additional journal reference - 2
Additional journal reference - 3
ACOG Practice Bulletin on
Operative Vaginal Delivery
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