National Healthcare Guidelines: Let Premature Babies Die
Posted Under: Uncategorized
WedNEWSday - September 9th, 2009
by Vanessa Allen and Andrew Levy
‘Doctors told me it was against the rules to save my premature baby’
Doctors left a premature baby to die because he was born two days too early, his devastated mother claimed yesterday.
Sarah Capewell begged them to save her tiny son, who was born just 21 weeks and five days into her pregnancy - almost four months early.
They ignored her pleas and allegedly told her they were following national guidelines that babies born before 22 weeks should not be given medical treatment.
Miss Capewell, 23, said doctors refused to even see her son Jayden, who lived for almost two hours without any medical support.
She said he was breathing unaided, had a strong heartbeat and was even moving his arms and legs, but medics refused to admit him to a special care baby unit.
Miss Capewell is now fighting for a review of the medical guidelines.
Medics allegedly told her that they would have tried to save the baby if he had been born two days later, at 22 weeks.
In fact, the medical guidelines for Health Service hospitals state that babies should not be given intensive care if they are born at less than 23 weeks.
The guidance, drawn up by the Nuffield Council, is not compulsory but advises doctors that medical intervention for very premature children is not in the best interests of the baby, and is not ’standard practice’.
(continues below)
James Paget Hospital in Norfolk refused to comment on the case but said it was not responsible for setting the guidelines relating to premature births.
A trust spokesman said: ‘Like other acute hospitals, we follow national guidance from the British Association of Perinatal Medicine regarding premature births.’
Miss Capewell, who has had five miscarriages, said the guidelines had robbed her son of a chance of life.
She said: ‘When he was born, he put out his arms and legs and pushed himself over.
A midwife said he was breathing and had a strong heartbeat, and described him as a “little fighter”.
I kept asking for the doctors but the midwife said, “They won’t come and help, sweetie. Make the best of the time you have with him“.’
She cuddled her child and took precious photos of him, but he died in her arms less than two hours after his birth…
Read more at Daily Mail - September 9th, 2009
Related Posts-
Going Rogue at Fort Bragg - Army Dampens Sarah Palin Sunday Paper - November 22nd, 2009 The U.S. Army will allow the media limited coverage of Sarah Palin's appearance at Fort Bragg, but will bar reporters from interviewing her or her supporters on the post, officials said Thursday. A Fort Bragg spokesman initially said the Army would ban the...... -
Korn in the Pasture - Brian is Born Again Sunday Paper - August 9th, 2009 WASHED BY BLOOD In 2004, Brian hit rock bottom. It was hard for him to meet the demands of life on the road as well as being a single father. One of the turning points was when he heard little Jennea singing a Korn...... -
Obamacare Bandwagon: The Wheels are Coming Off Sunday Paper - July 19th, 2009 With no signs of bipartisanship nor support from the Democrats on Capitol Hill, and the public waning, it looks as if Obamacare is hobbling towards the finish line. The question is will Obamacare be FINISHED before crossing the line. Yet Obama and his minions once again...... -
Kentucky Ice Storm - Let the Republicans Freeze to Death Sunday Paper - February 8th, 2009 President Obama was hanging out at a Super Bowl party while hundreds of thousands of Kentucky residents sat in darkness trying not to freeze to death. It was Obama who repeatedly ridiculed President Bush throughout the campaign season, putting the brunt of the blame on...... -
Olbermann Shouts Racist Sunday Paper - February 21st, 2010 MSNBC's Keith Olbermann has offered another of his mindless rants that he calls "Special Commentaries." This time, he tried to rile up his audience by throwing around vague charges of racism against white people, including himself! People--especially anti-Obama Tea Partiers--are surrounded and motivated by......
-
Teddy Pendergrass dies aged 59 [/caption] Soul singer Teddy Pendergrass has died at the age of 59 following "a difficult recovery" from colon cancer surgery, his son has told the AP news agency. Teddy Pendergrass II said his father had died at a hospital in Philadelphia. He was paralysed from the waist down in a...... -
Doomsday safe-haven offered under Mojave Desert [/caption] BARSTOW, Calif. – A company with a doomsday plan is taking money for what it promises will be a comfortable, nuke-proof bunker under the Mojave Desert, with an atrium, gym and jail, and sloppy joes and pearl potatoes on the menu. Robert Vicino, who runs the Del Mar-based company...... -
Michael Jackson's doctor charged with involuntary manslaughter [/caption] Michael Jackson's doctor was charged Monday with involuntary manslaughter, capping an exhaustive investigation into the pop star's stunning death last summer and setting up the prospect of another sensational celebrity courtroom drama. Dr. Conrad Murray, a cardiologist who was with Jackson when he died June 25 at his rented...... -
Woods to return to golf at the Masters [/caption] Tiger Woods said Tuesday he will return to golf next month at the Masters, ending a four-month hiatus brought on by a sex scandal that shattered his image as the gold standard in sports. “The Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with...... -
Woods hiatus is 'scary' for golf [/caption] Tiger Woods is taking an indefinite break from professional golf to tackle problems in his private life. In a statement on his website, he said he was aware of the disappointment "my infidelity" had caused to his family. The world's top golfer said he wanted to "try to repair......
Reader Comments
i think this storey is sickening im pregnangt myself and if that happend to me i would go mental!!!!! the midwife had sed he had a strong heartbeat and he was moving, surley this would have made it abit diffrent than a under “22 weeks” premature baby as some of them dont have strong heart beats.. i this this is discrasefull…… and would put me off having a baby if i wasnt already pregnant as i would cause my self to much stress thinking about weather the NHS would leave my baby for dead!!!!!!!!!!!! sickening!!!!
My heart is breaking for you Ms Capewell. As a fortunate and blessed mother of two I can’t begin to imagine what you have been through. Please know that there are people out there who would have done everything they could have to save Jayden if only given the chance. You will always be his mother and he will always be a part of you. Don’t ever let him go.