Gestational hypertension and foetal heart defect were the causes of two the two stillbirths at the Lethem Regional Hospital in July, investigations have found.
According to the Government Information Agency (GINA), the findings of the investigations were presented on Thursday to Minister within the Ministry of Public Health Dr Karen Cummings.
GINA noted that Cummings along with Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh and his team launched the investigation after it was reported that Sabrina Teloki and Nelita Greene had given birth to the dead babies under mysterious circumstances. Post-mortem examinations were performed on both infants.
In the case of Teloki’s baby, the report revealed that while there were a number of complications surrounding the death, the pathologist pinpointed Teloki’s history of high blood pressure as the main cause of the baby’s death.
According to the opinion of Dr Singh, there was no evidence of the baby breathing during the period of labour.
Teloki had complained that doctors gave her no reasonable attention in her hypertensive state. However, the Regional Health Officer Dr Ronald Chowdry reported that Teloki had an alarmingly high blood pressure level, which saw the nurses continually administering medication to stabilize it at the time.
Dr Chowdry explained that Teloki was released from hospital after her blood pressure level was normalized, but returned to the hospital and gave birth to a stillborn baby. With regard to Greene, it was noted that the woman had found out that her baby had a heart deformation, resulting in it not surviving the final stage of pregnancy.
The Pathologist’s report stated that the cause of death had been diagnosed as Multiple Cardiac Malformations and Intestinal Stenosis; it was also stated that Greene had defaulted from correct pre-natal care. Dr Chowdry explained that Greene chose not to attend clinic and never saw a doctor during the last stage of her pregnancy.
