Savannah Newborn’s Skull Fractures and Brain Bleeds Raise Concerns Over Hospital Delivery
A Savannah, Georgia, mother, Jessica Hainley, alleges her son sustained skull fractures and brain bleeds during a C-section delivery at Memorial Health University Medical Center, and that her medical records do not accurately reflect the events. The case has prompted a review by The Joint Commission, which accredits the hospital.
Delayed Care and Unexplained Injuries
Hainley, seven months pregnant, began receiving care at Memorial Health University Medical Center. Her scheduled C-section on October 10, 2025, was delayed after her water broke on September 25. She reports a five-hour period before the procedure where she received no medical examinations, despite concerns about her fetal monitoring system. “During those five hours, there are no exams performed,” Hainley stated. “I’m hooked up to a monitor, but it’s not reading correctly in the room. My husband, my support person, has to go check at the nurse’s station that the monitor is actually reading correctly.” She also noted her C-section was postponed twice for more urgent cases.
Medical records indicate her son required resuscitation, including suctioning, oxygen, and CPAP. The records also document skull fractures and brain bleeds “due to birth injury.” However, the delivery notes describe the birth as “atraumatic.”
Hainley disputes this characterization, stating, “They stated that he was very engaged in the pelvis when they delivered him, but in their delivery notes, they stated he was delivered atraumatically. A child who was born with two skull fractures and multiple hematomas, to me at least, does not sound like an atraumatic delivery.”
Expert Review Confirms Discrepancies
Dr. Sujatha Reddy, a board-certified OBGYN from Atlanta, reviewed the medical records and found inconsistencies. “The operative note and the description of the baby by the pediatric nurses definitely don’t correlate,” Dr. Reddy said. “They’re describing a very routine delivery of the baby’s head in the C-section, but immediately when the pediatric nurse has the baby, they’re saying there’s a likely skull fracture or at least blood noted under the scalp.” Dr. Reddy could not identify an alternative explanation for the injuries, stating, “It’s hard to think of a way other than at the time of birth that this baby got these skull fractures.”
Hospital Response and Ongoing Concerns
Hainley’s son spent over a week in the neonatal intensive care unit, receiving blood transfusions, oxygen support, and a feeding tube. He will be under neurological observation until age five. Hainley also required a blood transfusion for anemia, which she says was identified by her husband, not hospital staff.
After Hainley filed a complaint with Memorial Health University Medical Center in September 2025, she received no response until a reporter inquired about the case. The hospital then scheduled a meeting with Hainley and promised a case review. However, Hainley reports that subsequent attempts to follow up have gone unanswered.
Hainley also filed a complaint with The Joint Commission Office of Quality and Patient Safety. The Joint Commission identified “requirements for improvement” at Memorial during an onsite review, requiring the hospital to “demonstrate evidence of compliance” with Joint Commission and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid standards.
Memorial Health University Medical Center stated it cannot comment on specific patient cases due to HIPAA regulations but affirmed its “commitment to providing safe, compassionate care.”
Memorial Health University Medical Center is listed as a “birthing friendly” hospital by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, with no recent complaints reported against its labor and delivery unit.
Patients with concerns can contact the hospital’s Facility Patient Advocate or the HCA Healthcare Ethics line.