A simple test could have saved the lives of Victoria and her baby. Every pregnant woman should get it
Family on a mission to help others at risk
The devastated family of an expectant mum who died when a blood clot travelled to her lung want all pregnant women to be given a potentially life-saving blood test.
Victoria Ramage was 14 weeks from her due date when she collapsed at her grandparents’ house in Dalmel l ington, Ayrshire, in March.
The 22-year- old was rushed to hospital where doctors performed emergency surgery.
But despite the medics’ best efforts, she and her unborn chi ld, named Abel by her grieving partner John McRobert, both died.
Her heartbroken family want to raise awareness among pregnant women and believe Victoria’s life could have been saved if she had been given a simple blood test called the D-dimer.
Her grandfather Alex Knox, 67, said: “The test isn’t definitive but it can highlight the level of risk. They say all pregnant women are risk assessed but nobody ever mentioned this to Victoria.
“We want every pregnant woman to be tested. I ’ m confident if Victoria had been tested early on in her pregnancy, she and her baby would be alive. It hurts greatly to think this could have saved their lives.”
The D-dimer detects pieces of blood clot that have been broken down and are loose in the bloodstream.
Blood clots cause thousands of deaths every year, with pregnant women more at risk of deep vein thrombosis, partly because of the increase in blood-clotting cells.
Victoria and John had been about to have breakfast when she collapsed. Her heart stopped several times in the ambulance en route to hospital, where doctors decided the best hope was to deliver Abel by emergency section.
Alex, who says Victoria’s death has already potentially saved two lives of pregnant women who went to get checked out after hearing about her story, said: “The message needs to be clearer. The only reason we’re doing this is to stop anyone else going through what we are.”
Victoria, who lived with her grandparents, was buried with Abel tucked in her arm.
Alex added: “Our house is where she was her happiest. Victoria and my wife Annie were best pals.”
The family’s constituency MSP Jeane Freeman, who represents Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, said: “I’m in discussions with the Scottish Government on how awareness can be raised and whether there is value in screening blood tests for pregnant women.
“The discussions will make sure the risk assessments are as good as they can be and take account of situations like Victoria’s that can’t necessarily be accurately assessed because you don’t know what the family history is or there is no family history.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “This is clearly a distressing case and our sympathies and condolences are with Victoria’s family.
“The UK National Screening Council reviewed thrombophilia in 2010 and recommended that testing should be offered during early pregnancy on the basis of clinical risk factors.
“Later this year, they will be reviewing this guidance in relation to pregnant women and we await the outcome.
“All pregnant women are risked assessed for venous thromboembolism ( VTE) at the start of pregnancy and any woman deemed high risk will have a discussion about it with a clinician.
“The Scot t ish Women Maternity Health Record, which is handed to all pregnant women at the start of their pregnancy, includes questions about the mother’s personal history of thrombosis and pre- eclampsia as well as any family history.”
Dr Andrew Thomson is the chairman of the Guidelines Commit tee for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and is based at Paisley’s Royal Alexandra Hospital.
He said: “We know VTE – the formation of blood clots in the vein – sadly remains a major cause of women in so- called developed countries like our own dying during pregnancy.
“What we do in the UK at booking and throughout pregnancy is assess women for risk factors for thrombosis.”