Father: Don't treat kids as little adults

GAINESVILLE, Fla., Feb. 15 (UPI) -- A Florida father who lost his young son to a series of preventable hospital medical errors said hospitals need to embrace a culture of listening to parents.

Horst Ferrero's 3-year-old son, Sebastian, died in 2007 after being administered a fatal dose of medication as part of a routine medical test. Horst and Luisa Ferrero, founders of the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation, are leading the effort to build a dedicated, full-service children's hospital in Gainesville.

In an emotional retelling of his story at the Florida Association of Children's Hospital's dinner in Gainesville, Ferrero described what he called a "cascade of errors" that occurred when his son was hospitalized. If any member of the medical team had responded differently at any of a number of points along the way, his son's life might have been saved, Ferrero said.

He urged hospitals to:

-- Listen to parents. They know their children best and are speaking on their behalf.

-- Build a culture that makes safety everyone's responsibility. Double-checking can save lives.

-- Treat the "whole" child. Every member of the medical team must be trained to observe and treat the whole child, not just focus on their limited scope of responsibility.

-- Don't treat children as little adults. Make sure staff at every level are trained and sensitized to the unique protocols associated with treating children.