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Loving mum died after rare childbirth tragedy

Gillian Longstaff
30/ 1/2003

AN extremely rare childbirth tragedy robbed a husband of his wife and two children of their loving mum, an inquest heard.

Roland Hayes was left to bring up his 12-year-old daughter and baby son alone after his 41-year-old wife, Maureen, developed severe complications after the birth at Tameside Hospital in July last year.

Assistant deputy coroner Chris Welton heard at the Ashton court on Monday Mrs Hayes, from Ashton, had probably been the victim of a condition which affects just over four in a million pregnant woman in the UK, amniotic fluid embolism.

The obstetric emergency is caused by amniotic fluid, fetal cells, hair and other debris entering the mother's circulation causing heart failure, haemorrhage and almost certain death.

Gynaecologist Dr Tariq Mahmood - who had been caring for Mrs Hayes but was on leave at the time - told how she appeared fine following the Caesarean birth of a healthy son but she developed low blood pressure. Doctors assumed it was caused by an epidural and gave her a drug to counteract its effects, but her blood pressure remained low.

Her condition continued to deteriorate and just two hours after the birth Mrs Hayes was transferred to the high dependency unit where she suffered a cardiac arrest.

In the operating theatre surgeons discovered a massive abdominal haemorrhage and she was given a blood transfusion, but remained unconscious until her ventilator was switched off four days later.

Her devastated husband said: "I could see my wife was not well and getting worse. It seemed like torture to me. I could see her swelling up in front of my eyes. It just did not bode well for me. I couldn't understand why she wasn't given a blood transfusion."

But Dr Mahmood said because her pulse was stable doctors didn't think she was haemorrhaging and didn't think a transfusion was necessary.

"Sixty per cent of woman who suffer an amniotic fluid embolism die and of the remaining 40 per cent who survive the initial onslaught the vast majority will have severe brain damage," he said.

Tameside Hospital pathologist Dr Richard Hale who carried out a post mortem on Mrs Hayes said there was no evidence of fetal tissue in the lungs but said that could be due to the fact it hadn't been there or because his examination was carried out a week after the birth.

He gave the cause of death as massive abdominal haemorrhage due to an amniotic fluid embolism and Caesarean section.

Deputy coroner Mr Welton said: "A very rare occurrence but sadly one that is normally fatal. It was a deliberate act bringing about the birth of a child and done with the best of intentions. A further event occurred as a result of that act."

Verdict: Misadventure.