Little Adaline was born on 5 October 2016 by caesarean section after Jo started having contractions and bleeding due to placenta praevia, a condition where the placenta is close to the cervix making a vaginal delivery too dangerous to risk. “The staff had to quickly take him out of the theatre while they started CPR.” My eyes rolled back and the alarms sounded. “He turned around to answer me and tells me I said ‘my chest’. “Soon after she was born I said to my husband Mitchell ‘are you going to get some photos of her?’. Jo has little or no memory of the moment she almost died. It took almost four minutes of CPR to restore her heart rhythm and the mum of two remained in an induced coma for two days in Intensive Care before her condition became more stable.įortunately the anaesthetic, surgical and obstetric teams at the Base instantly suspected the rare and often fatal amniotic fluid embolism (AFE). Jo’s body plunged into cardiac and respiratory failure as her heart struggled to pump enough blood and the invading fluid caused life-threatening problems with blood clotting. Just moments after giving birth to a healthy baby girl some of the amniotic fluid that surrounded her baby entered her blood stream, triggering a catastrophic reaction. Six months ago Jo Tronc’s heart stopped on the operating table at Mackay Base Hospital.
Hence, sufficient time should be put aside for rehabilitation from the condition, with a slight chance that the subsequent symptoms may go away by themselves.Īlthough amniotic fluid embolisms can happen to anyone, with no way to predict or prevent them from occurring, the chances of a fatality due to an amniotic fluid embolism during a birth is only 1:20,000 among mothers worldwide. Furthermore they may vomit, suffer from shock and faint, with death being a very real possibility for both mother and child.Īdditionally, while doctors may be able to treat amniotic fluid embolism immediately, the after effects of the condition can be severe, by extending to the central nervous system and various other bodily systems. They will also see dark green discoloration of the nails and skin. Patient care should therefore primarily rely upon current obstetric standards of care.ĭuring the birthing process, mothers will feel restless, experience profuse perspiration, suffer from chest pain and have difficulty breathing. However, there is still no definitive evidence that any of the aforementioned risk factors play a role in causing amniotic fluid embolisms. Shock as a result of preeclampsia or fetal distress.Use of devices to aid the birthing process or caesarean section surgery.Placenta previa (abruptio placentae), a uterine rupture or vaginal injury.Encouraging a birth through the use of medication designed to stimulate contraction of the uterus.Mothers falling pregnant at an older age or becoming pregnant for at least the 5th time.Another possible cause could be the death of the fetus, causing a breakup of tissue which then enters into the bloodstream.Īside from these potential causes, there are numerous risk factors that could be associated with the condition: Alternately, an amniotic fluid embolism may occur due to a tear in the amniotic sac, leading to the leaking fluid entering the mother’s bloodstream.
They may occur as a result of a severe restriction in the uterus, which causes a buildup of pressure in the womb that subsequently forces the amniotic fluid into the bloodstream. There are currently no proven causes of amniotic fluid embolisms.
0 kommentar(er)
