Family accuse hospital over baby's death

Family members of a baby boy who died three days after being born have accused a hospital of failing to keep him warm after it was hit by a power cut.

The Yanzhao Metropolis Daily reported on Monday that Li Suxuan gave birth to the boy, who weighed 3.8 kg, on Dec 2 at a hospital specializing in maternal and child care in Xianxian county, Cangzhou city in North China's Hebei province.

Shortly after birth, the boy's face turned blue, and the hospital placed him in an incubator and administered oxygen. However, the power failed at 1:40 am next day. The hospital did not recharge the incubator until 6:30 am, according to Li Dabing, the woman's husband. 

Li Dabing said he wanted to remove the baby from the incubator when the power failed, but hesitated when he saw tubes attached to his son, and no nurse came to unplug them.

The boy caught a cold in the morning on Dec 3. Next day, he developed breathing difficulties, and died on Dec 5.

The boy's family said the hospital was responsible for his death, because it did not recharge the incubator soon after the power went off, and did not fill up the oxygen bottle in time on Dec 4, before the baby developed breathing difficulties. 

The hospital said the family can seek forensic help and file a lawsuit. However, the father said the hospital has not provided the boy's medical records from Dec 3 to Dec 5.