Investigation over disposal of still born babies shows mistake in paperwork

MARIETTA, Ga. — Channel 2 Action News has learned of new allegations against Kennestone Hospital regarding its handling of stillborn infants.

In a lawsuit filed by a mother last week, the most damning allegation is that Kennestone admitted a stillborn baby was likely disposed of as medical waste.

The suit also alleges the autopsy report on that baby is all wrong, including the sex of the infant.

"I was in the room. He was a boy. You could see it was a boy," said family friend Shannon Ashe.

She showed Channel 2 consumer investigator Jim Strickland a blue bonnet and blanket the hospital gave her best friend's stillborn son, Jordan.

Kennestone's accounting of the baby's delivery and death is in question.

"They [make] it even worse for themselves because it's right there in black and white," Ashe said.

Documents obtained by Strickland are redacted to protect the mother's medical information. Her last name is Ferrer.

The delivery summary clearly states Jordan was a boy weighing 82 grams, which equates to 2.8 ounces.

The autopsy report bearing Ferrer's name details the pathology of a female stillborn weighing 20 grams less.

The report also said that baby, whoever she was, had Down syndrome.

"If they can't tell a male baby from a female, then they really have problems," said Ashe.

Attorney Kevin Adamson said Jordan's mother still has no idea what her son's autopsy showed.

"(She) can't move on," he said.

Adamson envisions a worst-case scenario: The female baby's parents are missing vital information, too.

"There is a family out there that has no clue or concept that they have a Down syndrome issue, and that is scary," Adamson said.

A Kennestone spokesperson said they are investigating what happened with both the paperwork and Jordan's remains.

Hospital officials continue to decline to go on camera.

WSBTV