Medical Verdicts

Undiagnosed CHARGE syndrome leads to multiple birth defects


 

Passaic County (NJ) Superior Court

A baby boy was born with CHARGE syndrome, consisting of birth defects that include deformed hands, heart anomalies, and incurable cognitive impairments.

The mother sued, claiming that doctors failed to note the fetus’ hand defect in a sonogram performed at 19.5 weeks’ gestation. If doctors had detected this abnormality, additional screening tests would have revealed multiple deformities, she alleged, allowing her the possibility of terminating the pregnancy.

The doctor maintained that the hand deformity was not apparent on the sonographic images.

  • The case settled for $1.5 million.
The cases presented here were compiled by Lewis L. Laska, editor of Medical Malpractice Verdicts, Settlements & Experts. While there are instances when the available information is incomplete, these cases represent the types of clinical situations that typically result in litigation.

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