N.J. hospital misplaced stillborn baby, performed unauthorized autopsy, lawsuit says

A Connecticut woman is suing Hackensack University Medical Center claiming the hospital misplaced her stillborn son’s remains and later performed an unauthorized autopsy, in violation of her religious beliefs and explicit instructions.
The 34-year-old says in court papers she underwent an induced birth of her stillborn son at the North Jersey hospital on Sept. 28, 2022, following the discovery by doctors of a congenital disorder that ensured the baby would not survive birth.
The woman and her husband, who are Jewish, declined to authorize an autopsy, a decision they based on both their religious beliefs and the known cause of their son’s death.
Despite her clear refusal, an autopsy was performed months later, according to the lawsuit filed in August in U.S. District Court.
Representatives of Hackensack University Medical Center, which is part of the Hackensack Meridian Health network, said in a statement on Saturday that they regret “the family’s tremendous loss.”
“We are committed to high quality, compassionate healthcare, and when a patient and family suffers a loss, all of us share in their grief. Our thoughts and prayers are with the (family),” the statement said.
According to the lawsuit, the woman signed a consent form allowing only for a basic examination of her baby’s remains, without a full autopsy.
After leaving the hospital, the woman trusted that her son’s remains would be handled according to her wishes and disposed of respectfully within four weeks.
It wasn’t until July 2023, nearly a year after her son’s birth, that she learned by chance that the hospital had conducted an autopsy without her consent, court papers allege.
Further investigation revealed the hospital had misplaced the baby’s body in the morgue for several months due to its small size, delaying any action until February 2023, according to the lawsuit.
In June 2023, Hackensack University Medical Center hired a fetal pathologist, and by July, the unauthorized autopsy was performed, according to the suit.
The suit alleges professional negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress, citing the hospital’s failure to properly store, locate, and respect her son’s body, as well as their breach of her religious and personal wishes.
The mishandling of her son’s remains and the unauthorized autopsy have caused the woman severe emotional trauma, the lawsuit claims.
Note: This post has been updated to include a statement from Hackensack Meridian Health
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Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.