Jan. 24: Baby critical after bassinet fire

The baby boy was only 12 hours old when fire burst out in his bassinet at Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids on Tuesday.

And he was only 14 hours old when he was rushed to the Hennepin County Medical Center burn unit, the youngest patient ever treated there.

By Wednesday, the boy named Maverick was in stable but critical condition with burns on 17 to 18 percent of his body, as hospital and fire department officials scrambled to find out how an accident like this could happen.

"He's responding very well to the treatment," said Dr. Leslie Smith, assistant director of the burn center. The boy, who weighs about 8 pounds, suffered second- and third-degree burns on his scalp, shoulders and hands, as well as some burns on his cheeks. She said he's in a medically induced coma and "most likely" will survive, remaining in the hospital for several weeks.

The family's lawyer, Chris Messerly, revealed the boy's first and middle names (Maverick Thomas) but not his last name, saying the family had asked for privacy.

"They're just having a tough time getting through this," he said. "This is a mother who has never held her son. She can only approach him in full surgical garb." He said the family lives north of Elk River and has one other child, a daughter.

Maverick, who was born at Mercy, was in the hospital nursery when the accident occurred early Tuesday. He was lying in a bassinet under a warmer, with an "oxygen hood" to supply extra oxygen, the hospital said in a statement released Wednesday.

"For reasons unknown at this time, something within the oxygen-enriched environment of the bassinet ignited," the hospital said. "Nursing staff were with the baby at the time, and the flame was put out immediately."

Mercy hospital called the accident "a highly unusual, isolated incident," adding "we are unaware of any other hospital experiencing such an event."

John Piper, the Coon Rapids Fire Chief, said the accident is under investigation. "They're looking at all the facts and trying to determine exactly what happened," he said.

Oxygen is a natural fuel for fire, but it's unclear what may have sparked it, officials say.

"I have heard of occasional rare events of fires in other oxygen-rich environments, like the surgical suite," said Nancy Foster, vice president of patient safety for the American Hospital Association. But, she said, "quite frankly, not exactly like this."

HCMC doctors said they had never treated a case like this before.

The boy's mother, who had delivered him by C-section, was transferred with him to HCMC, which is known for its burn treatment center.

Smith, a burn specialist, said it's "too soon to tell" if the boy will need surgery for skin grafts. But she said the early signs were good: There was no damage to his breathing tubes, which means he didn't inhale smoke. "So that is great news," she said.

He's being treated with fluids and medications to help him heal and prevent complications, is breathing with the help of a ventilator and is being monitored constantly, Smith said.

In spite of the injuries, she predicted, "he will be able to use his fingers and hands," adding that "he should have a quite normal life."

Messerly, the family's lawyer, said the family "is doing remarkably well under the circumstances."

"They expected to take this baby home," he said. "They didn't expect this to happen. Who would?"

University of Minnesota journalism student Karlee Weinmann contributed to this report. Maura Lerner • 612-673-7384