- A couple is suing a hospital, alleging their baby was decapitated during delivery.
- A physician used "excessive force" after the baby got stuck in the vaginal canal, an attorney said.
A Georgia couple is suing a physician and medical center after their baby died during childbirth, alleging that he was decapitated.
Jessica Ross, 20, and her boyfriend Treveon Isaiah Taylor Sr, 21, went to the Southern Regional Medical Center near Atlanta on July 9 to have their son.
According to the lawsuit, the baby got stuck during delivery due to shoulder dystocia, which is when the baby's head has been born but one or both of the shoulders becomes trapped behind the mother's pubic bone.
The lawsuit alleges that their physician, Dr. Tracey St. Julian, delayed a Cesarean section from being performed in a timely manner, even though the couple had asked for one. She applied "ridiculously excessive force" on the baby's head and neck to try to deliver it, Roderick Edmond, an attorney who is also a physician, said according to the Associated Press.
Three hours later, Ross was taken for a C-section, according to the suit, but the baby's heartbeat did not register on a fetal monitor.
The surgical procedure removed the baby's legs and body, but his head was delivered vaginally, according to the suit.
The couple weren't told about the decapitation until three days after the delivery, the lawsuit says
During a press conference on Wednesday, the couple's attorneys announced the lawsuit against St. Julian and the hospital, and attorney Cory Lynch said the hospital tried to cover up the incident.
The couple was not told about the decapitation until three days after the delivery, when Ross had already been discharged from the hospital, according to the lawsuit.
The attorneys also said Southern Regional staff discouraged the couple from getting an autopsy, and wrapped and propped the baby up to make it look like his head was still attached to his body.
The suit, which alleges gross negligence, fraud, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, asks for a jury trial and monetary damages for the plaintiffs.
Brian Byers, Clayton County medical examiner's office director, told CNN that the office in the process of completing the baby's autopsy and has not released the cause of death. He said the office expects to release a statement about the findings on Thursday.
Southern Regional said in a statement to Insider: "As our deepest sympathies remain with the family, Southern Regional Medical Center denies the allegations of wrongdoing in the Complaint referencing the hospital. Due to patient privacy laws and HIPAA, we are unable to discuss the care and treatment of specific patients, but we can state this unfortunate infant death occurred in utero prior to the delivery and decapitation.
"The hospital voluntarily reported the death to the Clayton County Medical Examiner's office and is cooperating with all investigations. Since this matter is in litigation, we cannot provide additional statements.
"Dr. St Julian is not and never has been an employee of the hospital."
St Julian and Byers did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.