Incubator Fire burns newborn baby…

MINNEAPOLIS - Oxygen ignited inside a special hood worn by a newborn infant in a hospital, burning the boy’s head and face and leaving him in critical condition.

The baby, just 12 hours old and named Maverick, was wearing an oxygen hood, a device that fits over the face to supply additional oxygen, when something caused the gas to ignite, the statement read.

Nurses who were with the baby immediately put out the fire, Allina said. Authorities were investigating how the fire started.

Allina spokesman David Kanihan declined to release the brand of oxygen hood and warmer, citing the investigation.

The baby, born three weeks early, was taken to the neonatal intensive care unit at Hennepin County Medical Center and is being treated by doctors from the hospital’s burn center. Hospital officials said Wednesday that he was in a medically induced coma and on a ventilator, in critical but stable condition.

Dr. Leslie Smith said the infant will probably survive. But he suffered second- and third-degree burns over nearly a fifth of his body, including his head, shoulders, part of his face and the tops of his hands, Smith said.

“This is our first experience with burns at this age,” said Dr. George Peltier, a plastic surgeon at the burn center.

Hospital officials and the attorney did not release the name of the baby or identify his family.

Chris Messerly, an attorney for the newborn’s family, said that the fire shouldn’t have happened, but that the family is focused on letting their baby heal and is not yet considering legal action. The family has one other child, a daughter, he said.

“The family is doing remarkably well under the circumstances,” Messerly said.