Wisconsin Medical College Cleared of Wrongdoing in Cystic Fibrosis Lawsuit

By Brittany Golledge

Published on August 29, 2005

The lawsuit was filed by Charles and Linda Ande, the parents of a young girl diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. The Ande's alleged that their daughter, Callie, was enrolled in the cystic fibrosis research study without their consent. They claim that researchers withheld information that delayed Callie's diagnosis and may have been harmful to her health.

The study, which involved testing blood samples of newborns for cystic fibrosis, was designed to show whether early treatment would help manage the disease. Over roughly a 10-year period, newborns throughout Wisconsin were tested for cystic fibrosis; those who tested positive were placed into two groups: half received treatment, the other half received no treatment. The parents of the newborns who tested positive but received no treatment were not informed about the diagnosis. Callie's parents learned of her condition when she turned two years old.

During the trial, the defense responded to allegations of negligence by pointing out that Callie was functioning just as well, if not better than other children with cystic fibrosis, and the delay in diagnosis did not seem to have harmed her. Researchers also maintained that parents were notified about the study in a brochure distributed by the hospital after birth.

The Dane County jury cleared the Medical College of all wrongdoing. Individual researchers and additional defendants had been dismissed from the lawsuit for technical reasons at the onset of trial.

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