Woman who accidentally suffocated newborn sues hospital

A woman who accidentally suffocated her newborn baby when she fell asleep with him in her bed is suing her hospital.

A $8.6 million lawsuit has been filed against the Portland Adventist Medical Center and a nurse who currently works there. According to court documents obtained by CNN, Monica Thompson is suing the hospital for negligence. She claims that the hospital caused "unforeseeable harm" to her son Jacob Daniel Thompson in 2012, ultimately leading to his death. He was just 10 days old. In a statement, the mum said that Jacob was a "true miracle baby."

"My firstborn and only son. I am sharing our story in the hopes that no mother or family will ever have to suffer through a preventable tragedy such as this."

Thompson said that a nurse brought her baby to her for breastfeeding, before leaving both her and her son unattended. She had been given narcotic pain aids and sleeping tablets prior to this. Around an hour later, Thompson woke up feeling "drowsy and groggy." She then "noticed her son was unresponsive in her arms." According to the suit, the mum tried to revive her son.

"Mrs. Thompson tried to stimulate her son's suckling reflexes without success. She touched his eyes and got no response. She poked him and talked to him with no reaction. When no nurse came to help, Mrs. Thompson carried her son to the hallway and frantically yelled for help."

Jacob was put on life support. However, the newborn died on August 12 2012. Medical professionals said that he suffered "severe hypoxia" or "oxygen deficiency." Thompson's attorney, Diego Conde, said that leaving a mother alone with a newborn baby to breastfeed while on sleep aids is "senseless."

"A hospital doesn't get to load a breastfeeding mother with narcotics and sleep aids, drop a newborn child on the same bed to breastfeed, and abandon them to their luck."