Mother's plea after losing her baby

A WOMAN wants a health trust to make mums-to-be more aware of pregnancy complications after she lost her baby daughter.

Lamara Henry, 24, of Aspley, says medical staff did not spot she had complications during her pregnancy.

Her blood pressure was raised and she had protein in her urine, which can both be signs of pre-eclampsia, and Lamara says she should have been referred to a specialist.

She said: "My blood pressure was one away from referral. It should have been checked regularly but I was made a four-week appointment.

"Four weeks later, my blood pressure was really high and I was told I had lost my daughter."

Now Lamara is calling for health workers to ensure expectant mothers are better informed about pre-eclampsia and other complications.

"I think signs of pre-eclampsia were there but I wasn't referred," she said. "It's horrible to think that this might happen again to someone else."

Lamara lost her baby, whom she had named Reanne, in November 2007.

She complained to Nottingham City PCT as she believed health workers should have spotted warning signs.

"I was really, really upset and confused," said Lamara. "I was angry and grieving and I wasn't eating or sleeping.

"Now, I'm angry more than anything. I'm starting to deal with the fact that Reanne is not here but I'm angry."

Lamara's partner, Carl Chamberlain, 23, said: "There are things that could have been done so that Reanne could have been here."

The couple said that on October 9, 2007, her blood pressure was 144/89 and guidelines state the referral level for the lower figure – the diastolic blood pressure – was 90 or more.

Protein was found in her urine on September 18, 2007, but it was not tested when she went for her next appointment on October 9.

Lamara, who lived in Lenton Abbey during her pregnancy, said: "My hands swelled up, but because I didn't know about pre-eclampsia I didn't think anything of it. Pre-eclampsia was never explained to me. I want to make more people aware of the condition."

A letter to Lamara from Andrew Kenworthy, chief executive of Nottingham City PCT, dated January 25, 2008, says that although guidelines on pre-eclampsia and appointment timings were followed, it is reasonable that Lamara should have been seen earlier than originally planned after her rise in blood pressure.

It says: "It is normal practice to test a sample of urine at each antenatal appointment. We sincerely apologise [with regards to] a urine sample not being taken on the 9 October 2007."

A spokesman for Nottingham PCT said: "While we are unable to go into detail on individual cases, we are confident the healthcare professional concerned did follow care guidelines.

"All pregnant woman are given personal hand-held records at their first appointment with a midwife, which includes conditions for which they should contact their GP or midwife.

"These include persistent headaches or visual disturbances, a swelling of the ankles, fingers or face, or anything specifically causing them concern."

samantha.hughes@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk