Baby Olivia Marie died after five days on life support.

A 5-day-old baby who died after a doctor cracked her skull during a forceps delivery has been buried.

The baby girl named Olivia Marie, died after obstetrician George T. Backardjiev of the Medical Center of Southeast Texas, USA refused to give her mother a caesarean section.

The baby’s mother Rachel Melancon, who is only 4-foot-11 had asked her doctor for a caesarean section due to her small frame and the size of the baby.

However the doctor cautioned against this, saying that a C section would leave her with a scar. Unfortunately during the labour which lasted more than 18 hours, Olivia’s heart rate increased. The doctor then decided to use forceps after trying to turn the baby with his hands.

Forceps are a surgical instrument that resembles a pair of tongs and can be used in surgery for grabbing, maneuvering, or removing various things within or from the body.

Drawing of childbirth with use of forceps by William Smellie.

The doctor had told the mother that the baby was facing the wrong way.

According to the baby’s grandmother Angie Coats;

“(Backardjiev) kept going and even put his foot up not the bed trying to pull,” 

 

“When he touched the top and side of the skull, we heard a pop, like clay cracking in pottery and heard her skull crush.”

When this happened, the mother was then ‘rushed off’ for an emergency caesarean section. When the baby was finally delivered, she was unable to breathe as she had suffered numerous fractures.

Baby Olivia Marie with mom Rachel Melancon and dad Allen Coats.

“I felt her pulled out of me and the room was silent. No crying baby and they told Allen (fiance) to leave the room. That’s the last I remember before waking up to my baby girl lifeless,” her mother posted on Facebook.

The parents plan to sue doctor.

The memorial service for Olivia Marie was held last Saturday.

Olivia Marie’s parents have now launched a Facebook campaign to warn about the danger of delivery through forceps.