Taylee Blischke (Blischke Family Photo) |
SANTA ANA, Calif. -- The parents of a newborn baby girl who was mistakenly given morphine are suing the hospital responsible for the medical mistake.
It happened at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo on April 4, 2009, according to the lawsuit filed by Todd and Jessical Blischke on behalf of their daughter, Taylee.
Jessica Blischke says she had just delivered triplets girls prematurely and was prescribed morphine for the pain after a Caesarean section.
According to the lawsuit, morphine was mistakenly given to Taylee, instead of her mother who was holding the infant. California investigators say mother and baby had IVs that were mixed up.
The couple's attorney, Michael Brodie, tells KTLA Taylee was given 4 milligrams of morphine. Her heartbeat immediately dropped to dangerously low levels and doctors were forced to intubate her in order to control her breathing.
Brodie says Taylee was born a healthy baby girl but her condition immediately worsened. The hospital noticed the change in Taylee after the morphine was administered, but didn't realize the baby had been given the pain medication instead of the mother.
The hospital even accused Jessica Blischke of being responsible for the opiates in the baby's system, Brodie said. In fact, it wasn't until further tests were perfomed on Taylee and her two sisters that the hospital realized they were responsible for the mistake.
Mission Hospital has already been fined $50,000 by California health officials for giving morphine to Taylee.
Mission Hospital has filed a corrective plan with the state which stops the practice of giving medications to mothers in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Hospital officials released a statement at the time of the mix-up calling the incident "regretful," but were thankful that the mother and baby were "discharged in a healthy condition."
Brodie says mediation has been scheduled for Aug. 31 in Santa Ana.
The Blischkes now live in Seattle. Taylee and her sisters are now 17 months old and doing well.
It happened at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo on April 4, 2009, according to the lawsuit filed by Todd and Jessical Blischke on behalf of their daughter, Taylee.
Jessica Blischke says she had just delivered triplets girls prematurely and was prescribed morphine for the pain after a Caesarean section.
According to the lawsuit, morphine was mistakenly given to Taylee, instead of her mother who was holding the infant. California investigators say mother and baby had IVs that were mixed up.
The couple's attorney, Michael Brodie, tells KTLA Taylee was given 4 milligrams of morphine. Her heartbeat immediately dropped to dangerously low levels and doctors were forced to intubate her in order to control her breathing.
Brodie says Taylee was born a healthy baby girl but her condition immediately worsened. The hospital noticed the change in Taylee after the morphine was administered, but didn't realize the baby had been given the pain medication instead of the mother.
The hospital even accused Jessica Blischke of being responsible for the opiates in the baby's system, Brodie said. In fact, it wasn't until further tests were perfomed on Taylee and her two sisters that the hospital realized they were responsible for the mistake.
Mission Hospital has already been fined $50,000 by California health officials for giving morphine to Taylee.
Mission Hospital has filed a corrective plan with the state which stops the practice of giving medications to mothers in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Hospital officials released a statement at the time of the mix-up calling the incident "regretful," but were thankful that the mother and baby were "discharged in a healthy condition."
Brodie says mediation has been scheduled for Aug. 31 in Santa Ana.
The Blischkes now live in Seattle. Taylee and her sisters are now 17 months old and doing well.
