CINCINNATI -- Cincinnati Police determined there was no criminal intent in the disappearance of an infant who died an hour after birth at University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
The hospital called Cincinnati police for help searching for the dead infant, who was a twin. The other baby, a girl, was stillborn, according to Cincinnati Police Cpt. Terri Theetge
The twins were born on Sept. 14 at UCMC, Theetge said. The parents discovered that the male twin was missing as they began preparing burial arrangements.
Theetge said, after sorting through the facts of the case, CPD has found that there was no criminal intent in the baby's disappearance.
UCMC President Richard Lofgren said they could not divulge information on the case due to health information privacy laws. He did, however, call the situation "unacceptable."
"We make no excuses," Lofgren said. "We have offered our deepest sympathy to the family and any support or resources we can make available to them."
Lofgren said the hospital has started developing "steps to ensure that this kind of tragic human error cannot occur again."
Lofgren and other UCMC officials would not discuss the hospital's protocol regarding stillbirths and infant births.
However, Nanette Bentley from Mercy Health said the hospital's Family Birthing Centers in Anderson, Fairfield and West Hospitals have a special protocol for stillbirths and babies who die shortly after birth, as long as the babies are at least 20 weeks old.
"When we have the very sad situation of a mother giving birth to a stillborn baby, Mercy Health’s Family Birthing Centers arrange for mom and dad to keep the baby with them as long as they wish," Bentley said. "Once the parents have said their goodbyes, we transfer the baby to a secure holding area until the family has had a chance to make arrangements with a funeral home."
If parents do not want to bury the child, Mercy Health keeps the infant's body in their lab until their annual May service for stillborn babies at Gate of Heaven Cemetery.
