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After a tragic birth story out of Atlanta, an OBGYN breaks down 'maneuvers of last resort'

"A shoulder dystocia, if you don't know, is an obstetric emergency."

zavanelli maneuver; women's health; infant decapitation; Atlanta baby decapitation; infant mortality
Dr. Fatima Daoud|TikTok

OB-GYN breaks down shoulder dystocia after tragedy in Atlanta.

TRIGGER WARNING: This story contains graphic details of childbirth trauma and infant loss.

A couple in Atlanta, Georgia, experienced a devastating loss that by all stretches of the imagination seems impossible. Unfortunately, the unimaginable is one of the rarest of rare birth complications that resulted in the loss of their newborn son.

Jessica Ross and her partner, Treveon Taylor, were excitedly awaiting the delivery of their first child when during the pushing stage of labor, baby Treveon Taylor Jr.'s shoulder got stuck. According to the Cleveland Clinic, shoulder dystocia is when one or both of the baby's shoulders get stuck behind a bone in the pelvis, which doesn't allow the baby to exit the birth canal.

Ross found herself in this very situation, which eventually resulted in an emergency situation in which the doctor had to dislodge the baby from the pelvis and perform a Cesarean section. It is suspected that the force with which the baby was dislodged caused the infant's decapitation.

Doctors and nurses on TikTok have been taking to the app in an attempt to explain how a situation like this occurs. Dr. Fatima Daoud, OB-GYN uploaded two separate videos expanding on information about shoulder dystocia and what she says are "maneuvers of last resort." She explains in the video that maneuvers of last resort are actions taken by the provider that may cause harm to the baby but are necessary to save the baby's and/or mother's life.

"The first thing I'm going to say is that shoulder dystocia, it's rare. But when it does happen it's an unpredictable, unpreventable medical emergency," Daoud explains. "There are risk factors, sure, for shoulder dystocia. But actually, the majority of shoulder dystocias happen in people who have no risk factor at all."

This essentially means that there's no way for a doctor or midwife to know that you may experience shoulder dystocia while delivering your baby. But when it happens, things have to move extremely quickly because once the baby's face hits the air, the clock has started. There are only a few minutes to get the baby out before they've been deprived of oxygen for too long. During this time doctors and nurses try multiple different ways to dislodge the baby's shoulder but if all else fails, they have to move to the maneuvers of last resort.

Daoud explains that decapitation due to shoulder dystocia is "astronomically, astronomically rare" before revealing that it doesn't always mean malpractice has occurred.

@doctordaoud

#stitch with @wykeishaforthecommunity Major content warning here, but I do feel that as medical professionals we have an obligation to responsibly and respectfully weigh in on prominent medical-related news.

"Is because, when we're trying to resolve a shoulder dystocia when it happens, there are multiple maneuvers that we do. Three of them are what we call maneuvers of last resort. The extreme stuff," Daoud continues. If the extreme stuff doesn't work, what are you going to do? If nothing is working, what are you going to do? And a decapitation is the answer. I'm so sorry to say this, but that doesn't automatically mean malpractice took place."

The OB-GYN apologized multiple times in the video understanding that it's not pleasant information, but it's necessary information to have in order to understand how the couple's doctor may have gotten to that point. It has been reported that this couple's baby died before the Cesarean took place due to how long he was stuck in the birth canal.

In a follow-up video, Daoud goes into more detail about the three last-resort maneuvers before something as horrific as a decapitation occurs. One involves breaking the baby's clavicle to force the shoulders past the pubic bone, and the very last one is the "Zavanelli maneuver," in which they attempt to push the baby back into the uterus via the birth canal.

"Performing a Cesarean in the middle of shoulder dystocia is very much different than performing a Cesarean section that's scheduled or in labor," Daoud says. "It's not even comparing apples to oranges. It's like comparing an apple to a truck."

She goes on to explain that if the Zavanelli Maneuver is unsuccessful and you've attempted all of the other maneuvers of last resort prior to the Zavanelli, the focus becomes saving the mom. Daoud is clear that she is not speculating on the case from Atlanta but explaining how an infant death like this can occur.

It's a tragic thing to consider and an even more tragic thing to experience. Everyone is wishing the parents currently experiencing this unimaginable loss comfort during this difficult time.

@doctordaoud

Replying to @RaideretteRaiderLicious It’s not as simple as making a cut and scooping the baby out like a typical c-section, though I obviously cannot say what did and did not take place during this tragedy. #zavanellimaneuver #shoulderdystocia

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Research shows why you should always pet your dog before leaving the house

via Pixabay

One of the most wonderful things about having a dog is how attached they become to their owners. I work from home and my Jack Russel terrier, Scout, lies next to me on his bed for most of the day. The only time he leaves my office is for a sip of water or to go outside and sun his belly on the porch.

That's why whenever I leave the house and can't take Scout with me, I wonder, "Does he miss me? Is he sad that he's alone?" Studies show that our dogs miss us the moment we leave the house and that feeling slowly intensifies until we are gone for about four hours and they have a "plateau of melancholy." That's why the longer you're away, the more excited your dog is when you return home.

The moment I pull up in my car Scout begins to howl like a wolf trying to contact someone who's miles away. It's like, "Dude, I'm 30 feet away. Give me a second to grab the groceries out of the trunk."

Researchers from the Universities of Pisa and Perugia, Italy have found that if you give your dog some affection before you leave the house they'll have less anxiety while you're away.

They conducted experiments with 10 dogs between the ages of one and 11 without attachment issues. The group was composed of seven mixed-breed dogs, one Labrador retriever, one Hovawart, and one Chihuahua.

Participants in the study walked their leashed dogs into a fenced area where they were greeted by a researcher who took their dog's heart rate. In the first test, after the owners walked their dogs into the area, they talked with a researcher for one minute then left without giving the dog any special attention.

In the second test, the dog owners petted the dog during their interaction with the researcher.

In both tests, the owners left the fenced area and hid far enough away so that the dog couldn't smell them.

After the owners left, the dogs looked for them for about three minutes on average. After the owners returned, the researchers measured the dogs' levels of the stress hormone cortisol as well as their heart rates.

The researchers found that whether the dogs were petted or not, their cortisol levels were unchanged. But their heart rate showed a marked decrease if the owners petted them before leaving. Researchers later watched videos of the dogs and found that the ones that were petted showed " behaviors indicative of calmness for a longer period while waiting for the owner's return."

Next time I'm ready to leave the house and Scout follows me to the front door after saying, "Sorry bud, you can't go with me on this trip," I'll kneel down and give him a little extra love and attention.

Maybe that way he won't howl like the house is on fire when I pull up in my car after a trip to the grocery store.

This article originally appeared four years ago.

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Family

Grandpa creatively 'breastfeeds' when baby won't take a bottle

@xo.weendyy/TikTok

When a baby won't take a bottle, you do what you gotta do.

Having breastfed three babies who didn't take kindly to being given a bottle, I can attest to the fact that a hungry baby will not automatically eat what they're given just because they're hungry. My babies seemed genuinely offended whenever someone would try to feed them with a bottle, even if it was breastmilk inside it. Offended and angry. Spittin' mad. It wasn't pretty.

When you're trying to get a breastfed baby to take a bottle, there are some tips and tricks people recommend. But a few years ago, one grandpa created his own method that seems to have worked smashingly for the kiddo while also providing some entertainment and laughter for everyone else.

In a video shared by Wendy Rangel on TikTok, a man is shown putting a bottle through a hole in his t-shirt with a caption that reads, "My godson won't take the bottle so my dad tried something." The man checks to make sure milk comes out of the bottle's nipple, then cradles the baby to his "breast" to eat—and it totally works!

The laughter from the woman filming is the best part, though. Watch:

@xo.weendyy

To all the dads out there who struggle with their little ones not taking the bottle 😂💀 #fyp #foryou #parati #fypシ #4u #grandchild

The video was originally shared at the end of 2020 and got nearly 9 million views. People in the comments loved the dad's ingenuity and willingness to do what it takes to make sure the little guy was fed and happy.

Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, and sometimes that means cutting a hole in your shirt to "breastfeed" a baby from a bottle. The fact that this gentleman did it standing up is pretty impressive, and his little bounce once he got bebe latched on was so sweet.

Keeping babies content and well-nourished seems like it shouldn't be terribly complicated, but it can be, especially when routines get disrupted. As adorable as they are, babies can be frustrating when they're not on board with what you're trying to get them to do. Kudos to this grandpa for keeping calm and getting creative in the face of an unwilling wee one. Maybe there's a T-shirt business idea in the works here…


This article originally appeared three years ago.

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Millennial dad of 3 shuts down boomer parents for their 'ridiculous' holiday expectations

"Why is it that every time I have to make the effort for you, yet you can't do the most basic thing for me?”

via Canva/Photos

A Millennial dad has had it with his boomer dad's expectations.

A TikTok video posted by @carrerasfam is going viral, with over 300,000 views, because so many millennial parents can relate. In the video, a husband politely but firmly tells his “practically retired” baby boomer dad that he’s not taking his 3 young kids on a 400-mile drive to their house for the holidays.

Carerras Fam is a popular TikTok page about “all things postpartum and mamahood.” The husband opens the conversation with his dad by explaining all the inconveniences of taking 3 young kids on a long road trip. “I know you want us to drive down for the holidays, but it's kinda ridiculous that you want me to pack my 3 kids with their portable beds with my clothes, their clothes, the formula, everything that goes on with raising 3 kids and having them feel comfortable. Drive down for over four hours just so that we could spend some time in your house?” the husband says.

@carrerasfam

Sorry it’s just so much work. But you’re welcome to visit us #millennial #millennials #parents #parenting #parentsontiktok #boomers #millennials

It’s obviously inconvenient for the couple to pack up their kids and drive 4 hours, but it’s also unsafe because the house is not baby-proof. "I'm gonna have to run around, make sure that they don't break any of your stuff, and which you will take care of them,” the husband continues using sarcastic air quotes.

The dad brings up another great point: His parents are in good health, so why don’t they drive to their house? “You could visit. You don't have little kids,” the dad continues. “You don't have anything going on.

"Why is it that every time I have to make the effort for you, yet you can't do the most basic thing for me?”

It’s clear from the phone call the dad understands that traveling with the kids and staying in a house that isn’t correctly set up for young kids will make the holiday a struggle. Instead of making memories, they’ll most likely be running around bent over trying to save their kids from breaking something or hanging out at Target buying electrical socket plugs and a bottle brush because they left theirs at home.



The video struck a chord with many millennial parents.

“First holiday with a kid… parents are confused why I won’t drive 9 hours with a 3mnth old for Christmas,” too_many_catz writes. “The ‘not baby proofed’ part hit my soullllllll. It’s so stressful having to chase your kids around and ask to close doors, move pictures, block stairs, etc. And nobody takes you seriously!" OhHeyItsIndy added.

It’s also expensive for young families to travel. “Add to it they want us to spend money on gas, airfare, etc. when we live paycheck to paycheck and rent while they own homes and live comfortably off a pension,” another user wrote.

This one hit hard: “They always act like you're asking the world of them, yet they will willingly go on any other vacation that they choose,” Mackenzie Byrne wrote.

TX Travel Chick may have hit the nail on the head with her explanation for why boomer parents expect their children to road trip it to their house for the holidays. “Because we are used to following their orders!!! REVOLT,” she wrote.

Ultimately, it would be interesting to learn why boomer parents want to inconvenience their kids when it would be much easier for them to take a trip to see them, especially if they can afford a hotel. One wonders if they are being entitled or if they’ve forgotten how hard it is to travel with young kids.

This article originally appeared last year.

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'Percy Jackson' author pens powerful letter in defense of casting new Annabeth Chase

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Rick Riordan at a book signing in 2007.

When my son got into the Percy Jackson books in the sixth grade, I hadn’t really heard of the series but I learned it's much like Harry Potter for Gen Z. Enormously thick books were devoured in under a week and alarms were set for the next release in the series. Searches were on for the super-secret hidden book that wraps up a few loose ends and a fandom was born. But when the books were made into a live action movies in the 2010s, true fans of the series were left confused and disappointed. So, when it was announced that Percy Jackson was getting a reboot in 2023, fans rejoiced.

Then the cast was announced. It should have been a moment of celebration for the fantastic actors chosen, but some fans were less than thrilled.

Leah Jeffries, a Black girl, and Aryan Simhadri, an Indian American boy, were cast to play Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood, Percy’s best friends. The trio go on adventures and help each other out of sketchy predicaments that can only be experienced by demigods and satyrs. But…it didn’t take long for naysayers to start piping up over fictional characters being represented by people of color, particularly Annabeth being played by a Black girl, when the character in the series has blond hair. Eventually, the growing discontent caught the attention of none other than Rick Riordan himself and he not only took to Twitter to defend the young star, but wrote a beautifully strong condemnation of these comments in a letter on his website.

Riordan didn’t shy away from calling out racism in the comments, writing, “You either are not aware, or have dismissed, Leah’s years of hard work honing her craft, her talent, her tenacity, her focus, her screen presence. You refuse to believe her selection could have been based on merit,” he wrote. “Without having seen her play the part, you have pre-judged her (pre + judge = prejudice) and decided she must have been hired simply to fill a quota or tick a diversity box.” Riordan was very clear when he called out the problematic behavior from fans of the series.

The author wasn’t finished there. He continued, “You are judging her appropriateness for this role solely and exclusively on how she looks. She is a Black girl playing someone who was described in the books as white,” before plainly stating, “Friends, that is racism.”

There’s a subtle irony about the backlash surrounding Annabeth being represented by a Black girl, as the book’s version of Annabeth is related to Greek goddess Athena, who many believe to have been taken from African culture. In fact, Neith, the Egyptian goddess, is said to be Athena’s prototype. Neith was the goddess of creation, wisdom, weaving and war. She is also believed to be Ra’s mother. Athena is the Greek goddess of war, handicraft (weaving), and reason (wisdom), and was worshipped from 449-420 BC, while Neith was worshiped as early as 1600 BC. Neith’s worship was most prominent from 664-525 BC, but there are reports that Athena was most prominently worshiped between 900-700 BC.

While the worshipping of the two goddesses didn’t overlap, devotees definitely bounced a bit between the two. Still, it comes down to first mention, and Neith has Athena beat by a few thousand years. If you’re looking to the gods and goddesses of times past to verify the role of Annabeth Chase, it's clear that she is now being more accurately portrayed. Funny how that old argument on which came first, the chicken or the egg, can also be applied to Greek and Egyptian mythology and the 21st century portrayal of one of Athena’s faux relatives.

stone statue of Athena, Goddess of War

Athena, Goddess of War.

www.flickr.com

While Riordan did not mince words in defense of Annabeth being played by Leah Jeffries, he also praised her skill in her craft: “Leah brings so much energy and enthusiasm to this role, so much of Annabeth’s strength. She will be a role model for new generations of girls who will see in her the kind of hero they want to be.”

The author helped to handpick the actors portraying his larger-than-life characters and we as an audience should not only trust his judgment, but look at the faces of the children these actors will represent. Diversity is becoming such a buzzword that people forget that you can have diversity and the best for the job. One is not exclusive of the other. It seems as if Rick Riordan and his casting team have struck that balance.

Riordan didn’t stop there. The author has a diversity program on his website called Rick Riordan Presents, with the goal of publishing four books a year by diverse writers who write in the same mythology genre. He uses this platform, and his relationship with Disney, to champion underrepresented voices. Riordan makes it clear that he strives for diversity in the spaces that he occupies and that’s a beautiful thing.

Whether the role of Annabeth Chase was played by a Black actor or not should not cause such a stir. Having a cast that looks more like the world we inhabit is a good thing and the way Riordan has leaned into representation and diversity can inspire others to do the same.

In late January 2025, Disney announced on their Instagram that season 2 of the Percy Jackson reboot, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, had finished filming and was set to release later in the year. Sounds like the casting choices didn't trip up the success of the show in the end.

This article originally appeared three years ago.

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Joy

Adorable Golden Retriever absolutely loses it when he runs into his vet at a bar

No one has ever been this excited to see their doctor.

@cosmo_andtheoddparents/TikTok

He wuvs his vet.

Not every dog might jump with joy after seeing their vet out in public. But for Cosmo the Golden Retriever, it was practically Christmas all over again when he spotted his own vet, Dr. Jones, at a brewery.

In an adorable clip posted to TikTok, we see Cosmo in pure, unadulterated bliss as he snuggles with an equally happy Dr. Jones, who, considering he’s still in his scrubs, might have just gotten out of work to grab a quick pint.

Watch:

@cosmo_andtheoddparents When you run into your vet in public #goldenretrieversoftiktok #vetlife #animallovers #petparents #goldenretriever #goldenretrievers #doglife #dogmom #dailyfluff #charlestondogs #doglover #charlestondog #brewerydog ♬ original sound - Cosmo

Ugh, the cuteness is too much to handle! People in the comments could barely contain their secondhand joy.

“He looked over like, “Mom, do you see who this is?” one person wrote, while another said, “What in the Hallmark movie? Adorable!!”

One person even joked, “Did we all check the vet’s hand for a wedding ring? (Said as a married woman. Looking out for you all, or something.)”

According to Hannah Dweikat, Cosmo’s owner, the two actually share quite a history. She tells Upworthy that when Cosmo was but a wee pup, he “gave a scare” after eating a Sago Palm seed, which are highly toxic to dogs, from a plant in their backyard, which of course resulted in him being rushed to the animal hospital and staying there over the weekend.

While that’s every pet owner’s worst nightmare, and certainly a scary situation for the poor fur baby, Dweikat says that “the calm and patient demeanor” of Dr. Jones and his staff put Cosmo at ease. And because of this, “Cosmo has always loved going to see his friends—especially because they give him lots of treats and snuggles.”

Cosmo and Dr. Jones’ buddyship has also blossomed thanks to proximity, as Dweikat only lives down the street from the clinic. “Which means we get to see Dr. Jones and his staff out in public at times and Cosmo takes every chance he can get to say hi,” she explains. This time, however, she was able to capture it all on video. Yay for us!

What makes a good vet?

While not every vet, however gifted, will be able to elicit this type of reaction from their patients, having a calming presence like Dr. Jones is certainly a good sign for pet owners to be on the lookout for when shopping around for their own vet. But that’s not the only quality a good vet needs. According to Saint Matthews University, a vet also needs to have high stamina (both physically and mentally), as well as an ability to tolerate unpleasant situations (you can’t faint at the sight of blood or vomit), a high level of emotional intelligence (maybe all doctors should possess this skill, but especially those who work with animals), adaptability, a sense of enthusiasm, and finally, excellent communication skills.

Dr. Jones seems to have these attributes in spades, and his patients clearly love him for it. None so much as Cosmo, obviously.

By the way, if you’re in need of even more content featuring this precious pup, you can follow Cosmo on both TikTok and Instagram.

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