Sad Reality of a Neonatologist

* Regarding a jury finding Dr. Robert L. Hillyard liable for 42% of a $1.43-million award to a baby not diagnosed with a disease that left it blind (April 13):

I do not work at St. Joseph Hospital nor am I on staff there. I do, however, know Dr. Robert Hillyard, a most knowledgeable, conscientious, caring neonatologist, whose career is devoted to serving the well-being and saving the lives of premature infants.

These babies are born weighing as little as 800 grams, about 1 1/2 pounds, the size of a small chicken.

I do know that Dr. Hillyard is extremely well aware of the dangers of all the serious complications these infants can develop. He looks upon it as his personal responsibility to minimize the residual effects which can result from such a hazardous start in an infant’s life.

I do not know the full story of the sad evolution of 2 1/2-year-old Madison Scott’s tragic blindness due to retinopathy of prematurity.

I do know that this unfortunate outcome, usually but not always preventable, could not have been the fault of Dr. Hillyard, who obviously performed magnificently in preserving this child’s life.

It is an accepted fact among neonatologists that a baby with an unfortunate outcome when presented before a lay jury will engender, as it should, great sympathy.

This sympathy often results in a need on the part of the jury, and guided by an articulate attorney, to compensate the baby and its family.

The obvious one to be charged with such compensation is the physician, who probably preserved the baby’s life, however imperfect that life may have evolved.

After all, the jury reasons, the physician probably is wealthy and insured, so let us ease the infant’s life by transferring dollars from the only source available.

It was brave of Dr. Hillyard, even knowing he was only responsible for saving the child’s life, to have gone before the jury, knowing that the plaintiffs and their attorney had as a star witness a sadly blind infant. A guaranteed losing situation for the defendant.

In a miserable commentary on our society and our judicial system, an exceptionally fine physician has been vilified and damned for an outcome that was not his fault.

Society owes Dr. Hillyard a new lease on his career, for the sake of the many minute babies who will be dependent upon his skills for their survival and well-being.

BENJAMIN K. SILVERMAN, MD

Seal Beach