An obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Osaka has settled a malpractice suit filed by a couple after the wife fell from a birthing ball and suffered a uterine rupture, resulting in the birth of a baby boy with severe disabilities who later died.
The clinic, which initially asked the Osaka District Court to dismiss the ¥90 million ($685,000) damages suit, has agreed to apologize for the malpractice, express condolences for the death of the boy and pay ¥1.3 million to the couple as a settlement, sources close to the matter said Thursday.
According to the lawsuit filed in August 2018, the woman was admitted to the clinic in the early hours of June 27, 2013, after she felt her water break. At around noon that day, a doctor brought a birthing ball, put it on the bed and placed the woman's upper body over the ball, telling her it would facilitate delivery.
A birthing ball is similar to an exercise ball used in yoga classes and at gyms, with proponents saying an inflated ball allows the expectant mother to get into a comfortable position during labor and can help ease labor pain.
The couple from Tsuru, Yamanashi Prefecture, argues that the doctor did not explain safety precautions about the ball and left the room, after which the woman lost her balance and fell off the ball onto the bed.
The impact ruptured her uterus and necessitated an emergency C-section surgery, during which the doctor left gauze inside the woman's body, forcing another laparotomy. The baby boy was born with severe cerebral palsy and died in February 2015.
The settlement was reached in December last year.