Millions for "wrongful birth"

Amara Estrada, right, hugs the wife of her attorney after the judgment was announced.
Photo from the St. Petersburg Times

A jury has awarded a Florida couple more than $20 million in what is being called a "wrongful birth" case. The parents had alleged that a geneticist was negligent in failing to prenatally diagnose their child's genetic syndrome. They testified that they would have terminated the pregnancy had they known.

" ... because the doctor works for the University of South Florida, the family will have to persuade the Florida Legislature to award most of the money. State law caps negligence claims against government agencies at $200,000.

"Daniel and Amara Estrada claimed in the lawsuit that if their first child's condition - a genetic disorder called Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome - had been correctly diagnosed, a test would have indicated whether their second child would also be afflicted ...

"But, they say, Dr. Boris Kousseff, who treated their first son, Aiden, after his 2002 birth determined that the child's birth defects were not specific and did not diagnose Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome."

Related links:

-- From the St. Petersburg Times, this story:

"From the moment their son was born, Amara and Daniel Estrada knew he would suffer. Baby Aiden had webbed toes, a cleft palate, low-set ears, a small head and genitals so tiny doctors had a tough time determining his gender..."

-- Link to the Smith-Lemli-Opitz Foundation website.