Woman, 19, discovers she was accidentally swapped with another newborn at a Spanish hospital
A 19-year-old woman discovered that she was accidentally exchanged with another newborn in a Spanish hospital after taking a DNA test to settle a family despite this.
The woman, who has asked to remain anonymous, seeks compensation of millions of euros in damages for the 2002 mistake.
Regional health authorities have described the blunder as a ‘specific human error’ after the babies were born five hours apart in San Millán de Logroño in The Rioja was confused.
The error was discovered four years ago after one of the girls who was changed underwent a DNA test as part of a dispute over child support payments.
The victim demands compensation of three million euros (£ 2.5 million) from the regional health authorities, claiming that he has suffered significant damage for life because he grew up in a troubled family environment.
A 19-year-old woman discovered she was accidentally swapped with another newborn after she was put in an incubator at a Spanish hospital in 2002 while a DNA test was being done to settle a family despite (file image)
His lawyer José Sáez-Morga said that the victim, who was raised by a woman who he believed to be his maternal grandmother, had suffered “enormous damage, which will last a lifetime and will never be repaired.”
The health authorities of the Rioja region have so far only offered the woman 215,000 euros in compensation, he added.
The regional health chief, Sara Alba, said that the computer systems of then did not have as many details as those of today, emphasizing that a similar confusion could not happen again.
He added that it would be impossible to determine which nurse made the accidental change.
The two women were confused at birth after they were placed in incubators because they were both underweight.
From there, they were transferred to cribs where the nurse mixed them up while giving them back to their mothers.
Officials are “not aware” of any other cases at the hospital, which has since closed, he said at a news conference Tuesday.
“We have not been able to determine who is to blame for this error,” Alba said.
‘It was a one-time human error that couldn’t happen today. We can guarantee that this will not happen again. ‘
Saez-Morga said the other girl changed at birth and that her family also underwent DNA testing.
She also asked to remain anonymous and has so far not filed a lawsuit, he added.
The two women were confused at birth after they were placed in incubators at the San Millán de La Rioja hospital, which is no longer in operation, because they were both underweight.
The second victim was discovered after Saez-Morga contacted regional health inspectors after the 19-year-old approached him for help.
He said authorities were able to narrow the list of possible exchanges to 17 girls born around the same time at the hospital, which is no longer in operation.
Further analysis narrowed the list to a single woman who was then asked to submit a DNA test.
The woman’s father was asked to submit DNA to test whether it matched Saez-Morga’s client. The mother died in 2018, according to the regional newspaper La Rioja.
One of the victims was sent to live with the couple while the second, who sued, was raised by a woman who he mistakenly thought was her grandmother.