Our child safety lawyers are warning hospitals and parents of premature babies that the Giraffe Incubator and Giraffe OmniBed may randomly delete stored information and enter new information in its place (over-write) when the device turns “on” or recovers from a power failure. If this happens, the heater or oxygen delivery option will turn “off” and the new set point will be “0”. In addition, alarms may not appropriately alert users that heater or oxygen delivery options are “off” or that the set points are less than intended, meaning the alarm failure may go unnoticed by newborn nursery personnel.
All newborn babies using this device are at risk of serious injury and wrongful death due due to this malfunction:
- Inaccurate temperature can result in hypothermia (dangerously low body temperature) or hyperthermia (dangerously high body temperature); and
- Inaccurate oxygen regulation can result in hypoxia (low blood oxygen which can cause permanent brain damage) or hyperoxia (high blood oxygen).
Newborn babies requiring transport in the defective incubator or OmniBed may be at increased risk of adverse health consequences due to potential malfunction when moving from one power source to another (wall outlet to/from battery power).
These recalled Giraffe OmniBed and Incubator products were manufactured by GE Healthcare and distributed by the company from August 01, 2012 to December 01, 2012.
The GE Healthcare Giraffe OmniBed
The Giraffe OmniBed can function as an incubator (closed mode) or as a warmer (open mode) and can transition from one mode to the other on the user’s demand. Incubators and warmers are used to maintain the body temperature of a newborn baby. In “closed mode”, the OmniBed provides heat through a closed, temperature-controlled environment. In “open mode”, the device provides heat in an open environment using overhead heaters.
The GE Healthcare Giraffe Incubator
The Giraffe Incubator is an infant incubator used to maintain the body temperature of a newborn baby by providing heat through a closed, temperature-controlled environment. This device may include a controlled oxygen delivery system that is used to provide stable amounts of oxygen to newborn babies.
Help for Your Baby and You
Attorney Fred Pritzker and his team of lawyers help babies and their families sue manufacturers, distributors and others responsible for baby injuries and deaths. They have won millions for their clients and held companies accountable. You can contact our lawyers for a FREE case review here.
