Infant injured

Lawsuit alleges wrong shot

given to newborn baby

By David Baker

Posted Dec. 22, 2022

   The parents of a baby born in St. Mary’s Hospital in Troy in 2010 have filed a lawsuit alleging a nurse gave the child an injection of Methergine, which is given to a woman to stop bleeding after childbirth, instead of a routine shot of vitamin K.

   The wrong shot allegedly caused permanent injuries, pain and suffering.

   Because the chid survived, this page is withholding the identity of her and her parents.

   Named as defendants are the hospital; St. Peter’s Health Partners; Samaritan Hospital; Seton Health System - which operated St.Mary’s at the time; a doctor, Melinda Mantello; and Clifton Park Pediatric Center, where Mantello was employed.

  According to the complaint, Dr. Mantello failed to recognize the symptoms of the negligently injected Methergine, and to promptly transfer the child to an intensive care unit for treatment of the incorrect shot.

   The complaint was filed in May 2020 by Martin, Harding and Mazzotti of Latham, N.Y.

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   St. Peter's Health Partners CEO James K. Reed is retiring at the end of the year after more than three decades in various positions with the healthcare company, and people in the organization are singing his praises. But during his tenure, lawsuits prompted by dozens of preventable deaths and injuries were ignored by Capital Region newspapers that ran countless ads for the St. Peter’s Health Partners and its predecessor company, Northeast Health.

   Coming up: A look at the consequences, on patients, their families and the public of that unhealthy alliance.

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