An Ontario mother is considering suing a hospital in Belleville, Ont. after learning her premature baby fell to the floor while in the care of a nurse.
Kelsey Bond says her baby Kieran suffered a skull fracture in the fall as well as a subdural hematoma, which is a pooling of blood between the skull and the brain.
Bond is now worried about the possible long-term effects of the fall on her son’s brain.
“We don’t know if Kieran has damage. We don’t know if he has development (issues). We can’t determine any of that until he’s older, obviously,” she told CTV Toronto.
Staff at Belleville General Hospital told Bond the injury happened while a nurse was feeding him. A hospital report says it appears the nurse caring for Kieran fell asleep and the baby may have slid down her lap onto the floor.
Kieran and his twin brother Kaden were born 11 weeks premature just before Christmas. Kieran was released from hospital last week and now his mother is speaking out about the incident.
She says that since the injury, Kieran appears to be more high needs than his twin.
Bond is talking to a lawyer and considering suing for compensation.
Carol Smith Romeril, the chief nursing officer at Quinte Health Care, Belleville Hospital, says it’s not altogether clear what went wrong.
“We know that for one minute, the child was in the nurse’s lap, and the next minute the child was on the floor,” she told CTV Toronto.
The hospital won’t confirm that staff fatigue was to blame, only saying that nurses work 12-hour shifts. But they have offered their apologies to the family.
“We’re really sorry and we’ve been working with the family to try and help them be supported through this and we’re very sorry for the anxiety and distress this has caused them,” Romeril said.
The hospital is now conducting an investigation, looking into whether such factors as floor coverings, furniture or lighting issues might have been involved. They say they won’t have their results for a few months.
The nurse involved is still working while the investigation continues.
With a report from CTV Toronto’s Tracy Tong
