When an infant with congenital heart defects exhibited concerning symptoms, his parents relied on their naturopathic physician instead of contacting their cardiologist promptly as recommended.
Posted in ND Insights Newsletter on Thursday, September 4, 2025
Patient Background
Dane, a 5-month-old infant, was born six weeks prematurely on March 13, 2016, with congenital heart defects. Plans were in place to perform repair surgery around one year of age, or sooner if necessary. At a cardiology visit on May 31, 2016, Dane’s mother asked what warning signs would indicate the need for urgent evaluation. She was told to watch for cough, low energy, decreased appetite, and edema.
Initial Naturopathic Visit
On August 18, Dane was seen by his naturopathic physician, Dr. Jennifer Alexander. She noted several concerning findings: abnormal heart sounds, congested lungs, nasal flaring, grunting, lethargy, poor appetite, fever, and a persistent cough. The mother also reported a recent trip to California, where Dane had received acupuncture, and that prior hospital needle sites had not healed.
Dr. Alexander advised the parents to contact Dane’s cardiologist sooner than planned and instructed them to go to the ER if his fever or cough returned, or if his appetite did not improve. However, she did not contact the cardiologist directly.
Escalating Concerns
On August 19, Dane’s mother emailed Dr. Alexander to report that Dane’s condition remained poor and that she intended to take him to the ER.
That same day, the cardiologist documented that he did not believe Dane’s symptoms were cardiac-related, attributing them instead to a likely viral illness, and recommended follow-up with the pediatrician (Dr. Alexander) rather than direct intervention.
The parents delayed taking Dane to the ER, citing difficulty arranging childcare and fatigue. By late afternoon, Dane’s condition worsened. At approximately 5:30 p.m., he stopped breathing. Paramedics transported him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed that Dane died from diffuse bacterial pericarditis and pericardial effusion, which led to cardiac arrest.
Legal and Ethical Concerns
In the lawsuit, the family alleged Dr. Alexander failed to emphasize the urgency of immediate emergency care.
After Dane’s death, Dr. Alexander altered her records to show there were discussions about urgency that never occurred, creating discrepancies with her deposition testimony and later statements to police. This raised significant credibility concerns.
Additional complicating factors included the parents’ rejection of many conventional medical interventions, their preference for alternative medicine, and Dane’s exposure to acupuncture—an intervention later criticized by experts as inappropriate for infants and a possible source of infection.
While defense experts supported the position that neither Dr. Alexander nor the cardiologist directly caused Dane’s death, causation was difficult to establish. Experts opined that Dane was predisposed to infection and that bacterial introduction may have been linked to acupuncture treatment.
Dr. Alexander herself struggled emotionally throughout the litigation. Having lost her own adult son years earlier, she expressed strong empathy for Dane’s mother and admitted she could not be an impartial witness. Her husband’s declining health further compounded her stress, leading her to withdraw focus and clarity as trial approached.
Settlement
Given the altered records, inconsistent statements, and high-risk trial environment, settlement was pursued. Plaintiff’s counsel demanded $300,000, and the case was resolved for that amount.
What Can We Learn?
Red flags in infants require immediate escalation.
Signs such as lethargy, poor feeding, respiratory distress, and fever should always prompt urgent referral to the ER without delay.
Direct communication matters.
When managing high-risk patients, it is not sufficient to rely on parents to follow up. Contacting specialists directly and coordinating care can make a critical difference.
Documentation must be accurate and unaltered.
Altered records undermine credibility, increase liability, and often turn juries against providers.
Emotional burden can impact professional judgment.
Providers facing personal grief may find it difficult to remain objective. This can compromise both patient care and legal defense.
High-risk venues and vulnerable patients increase exposure.
Cases involving children, especially infants, often generate strong jury sympathy, making meticulous care and documentation essential.
Although this case study is based on a real case, names, dates and details have been changed to protect patient and doctor privacy.