'Wrong' twin is aborted

[SinghDude]

One of the twins had a heart defect - then the hospital 'terminated' the healthy one

An Australian hospital is investigating after a woman carrying 32-week-old twins had the wrong foetus terminated in a botched procedure it called “a terrible tragedy”.

Doctors had advised the woman that one of the boys, whom she had already named, had a congenital heart defect that would require years of operations, if he survived at all, the Herald Sun reported.

She made the heartbreaking decision to abort the child but on Tuesday, the wrong baby was terminated.

The woman then endured a lengthy caesarean section at the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne during which the life of the sick foetus was also ended.

“The Royal Women’s Hospital can confirm a distressing clinical accident occurred on Tuesday,” the hospital said in a statement.

“This is a terrible tragedy and the hospital is deeply sorry for the loss suffered by the patient and her family.

“We are conducting a full investigation and continue to offer the family and affected staff every support.”

A friend of the woman told the newspaper the family was struggling to cope.

“She went to the hospital with two babies and now she has none.

And she had the heartache of giving birth to her sick baby. She’s traumatised,” she said.

“The hospital said it had followed correct procedure, but how could this happen?”

The family later issued a statement requesting privacy.

“We appreciate the public interest in what has happened but we would have preferred the Herald Sun journalist involved in breaking the news of our tragedy had respected our request that he not run this story,” they said.

“The significant media attention triggered by this article has added to our stress and has put our privacy at risk at what has been a very difficult time for us.”

Victorian state Premier Ted Baillieu told reporters it was a tragedy for everyone involved.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate for anybody to draw any conclusions other than this is a horrible tragedy,” he said.

“We’ll make sure that the investigation is as thorough as it can be.”

Source

Tragic

 

[Ockie]

Shame man. This must be terrible. Can you imagine being the doctor that made this mistake? This will haunt him for the rest of his life I am sure.

 

[SinghDude]

Shame man. This must be terrible. Can you imagine being the doctor that made this mistake? This will haunt him for the rest of his life I am sure.

.....or not.

Unfortunately doctors sometimes are given to much credit. They probably kill more people than they save in theatre....

How many docs enter the profession for the money ?

 

[ponder]

Shame man. This must be terrible. Can you imagine being the doctor that made this mistake? This will haunt him for the rest of his life I am sure.

I doubt doctors give a schite, majority of them suffer from a god complex as it is.

A friend had to have her one ovary removed for medical reasons which is not to bad seeing she still has the other one so hormones don't become and issue. The idiot doctor removed the wrong ovary! She had to go back and have the problematic one removed a second time round and now have to take those hormonal supplement things.

Reporting them to the medical council or whatever it is called is almost pointless. First they are reviewed by their 'peers' (like a band of thieves), second they will stall as long as they can (something about a statute of limitations on medical claims), trying to sue them requires money and they usually have more than their victims.

As someone else mentioned they also 'kill' people under the guise of surgical risks. I knew one guy that went in for a minor procedure, he got nicked where he was not suppose to be nicked and died of septicaemia or something.

 

[Ockie]

.....or not.

Unfortunately doctors sometimes are given to much credit. They probably kill more people than they save in theatre....

How many docs enter the profession for the money ?

I suppose there are some that do...but I think most enter the proffesion because they have a passion for the poffesion of medicine. Trust me...the stress of being a doctor is huge. Not to mention the emotional toll it can take on you. I can say this because my dad used to be a doctor....and I saw what it did to him when he lost a patient and the joy it gave him of helping to bring a new life into the world.

You get good and some not so good doctors. And yes...doctors are expensive etc...but you know what...they study for 7 years and then still have to work for scraps for the first year doing their residency. Your are like early thirties before you can even start thinking about earning a decent living.

Anyways...this can be a entire debate on its own I guess. What I will say though is that if gross neglegence is discovered on the part of the doctor then he should and will pay I am sure.

 

[LazyLion]

Would not have happened if abortion was illegal... as it should be.

 

[SinghDude]

Would not have happened if abortion was illegal... as it should be.

Alot of health/safety/moral issues surrounding the termination of a foetus exist.

 

[Alan]

Wouldn't be surprised if that child with the heart defect goes on to lead a healthy, happy productive life.

As for the doctor I'd be surprised if he/she lost any sleep over it. In my experience doctors are worse than politicians. Incompetent, not accountable, condescending and clearly in it for the money.

 

[SinghDude]

Wouldn't be surprised if that child with the heart defect goes on to lead a healthy, happy productive life.

As for the doctor I'd be surprised if he/she lost any sleep over it. In my experience doctors are worse than politicians. Incompetent, not accountable, condescending and clearly in it for the money.

Both died.

 

[Ninja'd]

Wouldn't be surprised if that child with the heart defect goes on to lead a healthy, happy productive life.

As for the doctor I'd be surprised if he/she lost any sleep over it. In my experience doctors are worse than politicians. Incompetent, not accountable, condescending and clearly in it for the money.

The woman then endured a lengthy caesarean section at the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne during which the life of the sick foetus was also ended.

 

[Alan]

So they killed both of them. Two lives snuffed out. All in a days work.

 

[CodeMaster]

Alan, did you read the article?
One was killed by accident, and the other terminated.
So no, they didn't kill both of them - one HAD to be terminated due to illness.

The terminology used in the tread title and by posters is incorrect, as the woman was 32 weeks pregnant.
The sick foetus had to be TERMINATED due to illness, NOT aborted.
Both children were completely viable at gestational age of 32 weeks - very sad indeed.

EDIT.
Actually, I guess the sick twin didn't HAVE to be terminated. But who wants to live a life of continuous heart surgeries.

 

[DigitalSoldier]

I doubt doctors give a schite, majority of them suffer from a god complex as it is.

A friend had to have her one ovary removed for medical reasons which is not to bad seeing she still has the other one so hormones don't become and issue. The idiot doctor removed the wrong ovary! She had to go back and have the problematic one removed a second time round and now have to take those hormonal supplement things.

Reporting them to the medical council or whatever it is called is almost pointless. First they are reviewed by their 'peers' (like a band of thieves), second they will stall as long as they can (something about a statute of limitations on medical claims), trying to sue them requires money and they usually have more than their victims.

As someone else mentioned they also 'kill' people under the guise of surgical risks. I knew one guy that went in for a minor procedure, he got nicked where he was not suppose to be nicked and died of septicaemia or something.

Munro Flowers Vermaak

 

[Alan]

Actually, I guess the sick twin didn't HAVE to be terminated. But who wants to live a life of continuous heart surgeries.

There have been many cases where doctors have claimed a child would have to suffer numerous surgeries and would most likely not make it, only for that child to go on to live a full healthy life.

IMO rather give the child a chance. At least you avoid this kind of scenario.

Pregnant women should be told that having an abortion is safer than having a baby, highly contentious new advice from doctors states.

The guidelines, from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, also say that most women who terminate a pregnancy will not suffer any psychological problems as a result.

The guidance, which is still in draft form, has horrified medical ethicists and Christian groups, who say it forces an ‘absurdly liberal agenda’ on women in a vulnerable situation.

And, with abortion clinics among those contributing to the guidance, they likened the procedure to allowing a tobacco company to review the consequence of smoking or putting McDonald’s in charge of a study on how fast food affects health.

The RCOG guidance on the care of women asking for an abortion states is aimed at all doctors, nurses and counsellors involved in terminations.

One of the first sections, on ‘what women need to know’ about abortion, states that major complications are rare and that women ‘should be advised that abortion is generally safer than continuing a pregnancy to term’.

But critics called on the RCOG to produce the evidence to back its claim, and added that many complications caused by abortions will be recorded in A&E and other stats and so are missing from the official tally.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...ing-baby-new-advice-claims.html#ixzz1ecthAmep

Nothing feeds a god complex like convincing a mother to kill her child.

 

[Kloofvreter]

There have been many cases where doctors have claimed a child would have to suffer numerous surgeries and would most likely not make it, only for that child to go on to live a full healthy life.

IMO rather give the child a chance. At least you avoid this kind of scenario.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...ing-baby-new-advice-claims.html#ixzz1ecthAmep

Nothing feeds a god complex like convincing a mother to kill her child.

I'll tell you ifthey discover something major is wrong with my unborn child, I'd also terminate it.

 

[LazyLion]

I'll tell you ifthey discover something major is wrong with my unborn child, I'd also terminate it.

Even if there is a chance there medical diagnosis is mistaken?

 

[nakedpeanut]

I'm still very surprised (maybe it's because i'm not a doctor) that they didn't think of or attempt to replace the heart of the sick infant with the one they just kill?

I dunno seems the logical thing to do, but like I said i'm no doctor, so I don't know what complications could arise or would have prevented this..

 

[Kloofvreter]

Even if there is a chance there medical diagnosis is mistaken?

Depending on what the ailment is and what the odds are. If they tell me 99% that the child will have Down's syndrome I will terminate it (flame me, it's ok). You can also see clearly if the child will be born without certain limbs. If he is born with no legs, I'll terminate it.

 

[Kloofvreter]

IMO rather give the child a chance. At least you avoid this kind of scenario.

And what if, as the doctors predicted, the child DOES have continous serious heart problems, and the operations drain the parents' funds and the child dies anyway?

 

[LazyLion]

And what if, as the doctors predicted, the child DOES have continous serious heart problems, and the operations drain the parents' funds and the child dies anyway?

I'd rather take that chance, than live with the guilt of killing the baby for the rest of my life.