Beyoncé's Baby Blue Birth Controversy: Health Officials Probing Maternity Ward Access Complaints

Blue Ivy's birth at a Manhattan hospital has prompted scrutiny from state authorities

By Josh Grossberg Jan 11, 2012 11:50 PMTags
Beyonce Knowles, Jay-ZBruce Glikas/Getty Images

The arrival of Beyoncé and Jay-Z's baby girl, Blue Ivy hasn't left everyone feeling overjoyed.

The New York State Health Department has confirmed it's looking into complaints concerning the treatment of maternity patients and their families during Beyoncé's controversial stay at Manhattan's Lenox Hill Hospital this weekend.

But don't go calling it an investigation...

"We've received two complaints that we're looking into today," Moran tells E! News. "Neither of them was from people who were involved in the situation. One was from someone who read about it in the media and the other was anonymous. So we have no person we can interview or talk to about it. But at this point, we are reviewing the situation."

After the R&B diva welcomed Blue on Saturday night, the New York Daily News reported on the frustrations of a Brooklyn man who claimed he was barred from seeing his premature newborn twins in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit due to the efforts of Beyoncé's security team.

More criticism followed from other patients and expectant moms who alleged that the celebrity presence was disruptive to care, especially since the couple rented out a four-star "executive suite" for the occasion.

Regarding reports that some patients may have been blocked from accessing certain parts of the ward, Moran added: "If someone brought us a complaint that their health or safety was in jeopardy, we'd look into that."

A Lenox Hill spokesman declined to comment on the matter of the Health Department getting involved. The hospital has vehemently denied the allegations since they first surfaced a few days ago.

Listen! Jay-Z Raps About his "Beautiful" Daughter

In a statement given to E! News on Monday, spokesman Frank Danza said the hospital has received no complaints from parents about anyone being prohibited from the neonatal intensive unit.

He noted that officials were making "every effort to ensure minimal disruption," and that patient privacy is taken very seriously. Danza also dismissed reports that Beyoncé and Jay-Z had rented out an entire floor.