HOUSTON (KTRK/CNN) – A Texas grand jury indicted a dentist after a 4-year-old girl suffered brain damage during a procedure last year.
The dentist, Dr. Bethaniel Jefferson, faces charges for “intentionally and knowingly by omission” causing serious injury to a child by failing to seek and provide adequate medical attention.
Nevaeh Hall, who was an energetic 4-year-old in 2016, went to the dentist to have a tooth pulled. While there, she was sedated and later went into convulsions, according to her family.
Authorities say Jefferson failed to seek help after Nevaeh started having seizures and tried to treat her with medication instead. The dentist allegedly didn’t call 911 for hours after the incident.
Nevaeh’s family says the 4-year-old suffered permanent brain damage from lack of oxygen, which caused the little girl to lose the ability to talk, walk, eat and see.
Jefferson had been cited before for not meeting standards of care during sedation. She was barred from practicing dentistry in Texas following the most recent incident.
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