Chile Supreme Court upholds ruling on newborn exchange case

On 22 July, the Chilean Supreme Court's Third Chamber upheld the lower‑court judgment that condemned the Aysén Health Service and the Regional Hospital of Coyhaique for failing to provide adequate newborn identification procedures. The Court dismissed both the substantive and procedural appeals filed by the defendants and by one of the claimants, affirming liability for the inadvertent exchange of two newborns at birth.

The case originated from a 2022 genetic report that revealed the two infants had been delivered to families other than their biological parents. Six plaintiffs – the two women and four family members – sued the health entities, seeking moral damages. The Court rejected a request to reduce the awarded compensation, maintaining that the original amount did not fully remediate the harm suffered.