When we turned our televisions to our local news stations Tuesday evening, we gasped at the jaw-dropping headline, ‘Baby burned in hospital nursery’.
This headline became the topic of conversation in both my Birthing and Parenting class I attend Wednesday evenings at Mercy Hospital, and my Teen and Parenting Preparation class I attend on Thursday mornings. Mercy Hospital is part of my community. I am there every Wednesday to attend a birthing class, and it is the place that I will be delivering my baby in a few months.
Tuesday morning, a newborn baby at Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids, was pulled out of the level II nursery while the plastic, crib-like structure, called a baby warmer he laid in, engulfed in flames. Nursing staff were near the baby when the flames went up. They immediately put out the flames and got the baby out.
They believe that the fire possibly started in the oxygen mask, but investigators have to undergo further inspection to be positive, and fix the problem so that this does not happen again. Luckily, the fire remained contained to the baby warmer, and did not spread elsewhere.
The baby was transferred to the HCMC burn unit, and he suffered from second and third-degree burns over 18 percent of his body, including his scalp and face. The baby is likely to survive, but is currently in a medical induced coma and will not be able to leave the hospital for several weeks.
I feel that this incident has had a negative impact on many people in the community, causing some people to have fears of delivering their baby at Mercy Hospital. I think we need to focus on the idea that “accidents happen” and this was a very rare incident.
I still plan on having my baby delivered at Mercy hospital in March. Mercy Hospital has a good reputation, and is known for very few medical mishaps or accidents.
Sources: http://www.stfrancismn.com/
Picture: http://www.allina.com/img4/mercy.jpg
