My baby’s heart defect was missed due to Covid
MUM CLAIMS GIRL’S LIFE WAS PUT AT RISK
A MUM claims that her baby’s congenital heart defect was missed during her pregnancy after a scan at a specialist maternity hospital was cancelled due to coronavirus.
Jade Earp, from Stockport, believes that she and her unborn baby were put at risk due to the cancelled appointment at St Mary’s Hospital in Manchester last May.
Jade, 28, found out she was pregnant at the start of the first lockdown in March. She was referred by Stepping Hill Hospital to a cardiologist at the foetal medical unit at St Mary’s due to her older son having congenital heart disease. But Jade says her appointment was declined by St Mary’s in May due to the Covid-19 crisis, and was told to treat it as a normal pregnancy.
The mum-of-five added: “They said if anything is picked up on your 20week scan, we’ll see you. I went for my 20-week scan and nothing was picked up.. Everything seemed okay. Had I gone to St Mary’s and had the appointment, I believe my newborn’s heart problems would have been picked up. I had plenty of scans at my local hospital but unfortunately it was never picked up. It’s quite frustrating really because after that we just went through the pregnancy expecting a perfectly healthy child. In pregnancy with my son I was given a diagnosis and a plan was put in place. We knew what to expect.”
Elsie was born on November 17 at Stepping Hill Hospital, where a heart murmur was detected.
A further scan confirmed Jade’s worst fear – that her new baby had the same congenital heart defects as her brother.
Jade, from Heaton Norris, added: “I really do think she was put at risk. When my son was born he was critically ill with his heart condition. Had that not been picked up he would have been at home and the chances of him still being here would be unlikely.”
Elsie was admitted to hospital after falling ill with a cough and cold over Christmas but is now recovering at home. Jade and her partner Steven have been warned that she may need open heart surgery this year.
She said: “We now have the added worry of not knowing when that will be because of the lockdown we’re in now.”
The M.E.N. has contacted St Mary’s Hospital and Stepping Hill Hospital for a response.