Arteisha Betts went into premature labor in March 2011. A resident of Florissant, which is a northern St. Louis suburb, Betts was advised previously by her obstetricians, Drs. Gilbert Webb and Susan Moore, that she wouldn’t deliver the baby vaginally because the fetus had an abnormally large abdomen and would require a Caesarean section.
The unthinkable happened. During Betts’ delivery, Dr. Webb reneged on his own medical advice and attempted vaginal delivery. Betts was only 28 weeks and five days pregnant.
The infant’s head was delivered in first stage of the birthing process, but in the second stage baby Kaden Travis’ large abdomen was lodged in the birth canal.
According to a complaint filed against the two doctors and Midwest Maternal & Fetal Medicine Services, LLC, Signature Medical Group Inc., Dr. Webb applied traction to the child’s head in an attempt to dislodge his body, at which point the infant was decapitated, reported the New York Daily News.
The complaint also cites gory details. Blood shot out from the infant’s arteries and veins, spilling onto the floor where father Travis Ammonette was sitting steps away from the birthing bed.
The lawsuit states that Dr. Webb then “pushed decedent’s head and body back into plaintiff Arteisha Betts’ birth canal” and called for an emergency C-section, where he cut into Bett’s abdomen before the anesthesia took effect.
During the procedure, he “surgically and completely removed” the child’s head from his neck and torso.
Before handing the little boy, who was named Kaden Travis, to his parents, Webb had allegedly “intentionally concealed” his neck wounds.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages to cover medical costs, funeral expenses, as well as personal injury and wrongful death.
