DENVER (KDVR) — A Denver family is seeking help after they went into an emergency cesarean section and their baby came out with a cut across her face.
“It’s upsetting; she’s not comfortable,” said the baby’s father, Damarqus Williams.
Instead of pure joy and celebration, the Williams family met their newest addition in fear and frustration.
“To have your granddaughter born to come out to see the plastic surgeon, to get 13 stitches, is devastating, it’s heartbreaking,” said Walter Williams, the baby’s grandfather.
Kyanni Williams was born last week at Denver Health. Her parents said the original plan was to deliver naturally.
“They gave me a pill to speed up my labor, and a few minutes after that, I was being rushed into an emergency C-section,” said the baby’s mother, Reazjhana Williams.
“They said our baby made a sudden movement and they couldn’t hear her heartbeat or find it and they took her into an immediate C-section,” Damarqus Williams said.
The new parents said their daughter came out of the C-section with a massive cut on her face that required 13 stitches.
“They said her face was close to the placenta wall,” the baby’s father said.
“I tried to be understanding about what happened, but on top of the fact that her face got cut and a plastic surgeon had to come do it, there’s just a lot of things I’m not understanding with the C-section,” said the baby’s mother. “I’ve never heard of anybody having to deal with their baby’s face looking like this after a C-section.”
Medical professionals say cuts during C-sections are rare.
“I’ve done over probably 2,500 deliveries and I assisted on C-sections, that’s the first time I’ve ever seen that,” Advance Practice Nurse Lisa Merck said after we sent her the photos. “That is kind of one of the things that can happen, but it is really, really rare.”
The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network came out with a study looking into C-sections delivered at 13 University centers from 1999 to 2000. The study found 0.7% of more than 37,000 C-sections ended with the baby having skin lacerations.
“I don’t think that’s right. They have to be held accountable for what they did,” grandmother Tashaira Williams said.
Denver Health sent the following statement:
“Denver Health has been in touch with the family directly. While this is a known medical complication in emergency C-sections, our focus is always on providing care in the best interest of the mother and child. At Denver Health, the safety and well-being of our patients is our number one priority.”