MA parents get $7M in death of infant

A Suffolk County Superior Court jury awarded a South Hamilton couple a judgment of $7 million yesterday in the 2004 death of their newborn daughter at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, according to their attorney. Jurors found Dr. Janet Lloyd and nurse practitioner Michele Ambrosino negligent in the care of Katherine Bellerose, who was born about two months early at the hospital on June 13, 2004, and developed a condition that caused her intestinal tissue to die. The baby's parents, Danielle and John, alleged in their lawsuit that those caring for her in the neonatal intensive care unit failed to recognize that their daughter's health was deteriorating and then took too long to call surgeons after her bowels had become perforated. A lawyer representing the defendants said they provided appropriate care that met medical standards. Premature infants are at higher risk for developing the condition, called necrotizing enterocolitis. William Thompson, the family's attorney, said the intensive care unit staff should have been watching for it in Katherine, who was a twin.