A MIDWIFE has been suspended after she almost chopped a newborn’s middle finger off while cutting his umbilical cord on Christmas Day.
The baby’s left middle finger was partially severed at the County People’s Hospital in Xuyi, in the east of China.
A “serious error” by the midwife allegedly led to her cutting the baby boy’s finger as she severed his umbilical cord.
The baby was being delivered via a c-section when the incident happened on December 25.
He was transferred to a specialist hospital for surgery to reattach the severed digit the same day.
But the infant’s father said he still can’t face telling his wife the full extent of the damage.
The baby’s dad, known as Sheng, posted that the child still struggled to lift his hand and woke up crying in pain after being discharged on New Year’s Eve.
Sheng said: “I still don’t dare to tell her everything.
“I only told her that the baby’s finger might have been injured at the bone.
“Doctors can’t guarantee how well it will recover later.”
Surgeons found the tendon was severed, but the baby was too young for nerves to be reconnected, Sheng added.
The midwife has been suspended from duty, the county’s health commission said, and the baby is now recovering at home.
The hospital has apologised to the family several times.
It said it will take responsibility for treatment and rehab, but it’s not enough for distraught dad Sheng.
The Xuyi hospital also offered the family CNY 100,000 (GBP 10,670) in a one-off cash compensation payment.
Sheng rejected this, saying he did not think it would cover costs of future treatment, and has instead applied for a medical malpractice appraisal.
He also claimed the hospital had failed to explain what caused his infant’s finger to be cut so severely.
The baby’s dad said: “To this day, the hospital still hasn’t clearly explained what exactly happened in the delivery room, or why such a simple procedure as cutting the umbilical cord could result in my baby’s finger being cut off.”
He added: “We don’t know how much future treatment and rehabilitation will cost, but I’m certain that CNY 100,000 [GBP 10,670] is not enough.”
Officials said the case exposed weaknesses in the hospital’s medical safety procedures, vowing rigorous accountability and a review to improve maternity care in the area.