Mother after eighteen miscarriages - Angie Baker celebrates baby daughter's birth
Last updated 2/19/2010 10:33:05 AM
Angie Baker celebrates baby daughters birth after 18 miscarriages
A woman who suffered 18 miscarriages has given birth to a healthy baby girl named Raiya, thanks to a pioneering technique of diagnosing and treating multiple miscarriages developed at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Angie Baker, 33, had been trying to have a baby for 13 years, but although doctors could not diagnose what was causing it, she repeatedly suffered a miscarriage in the early stages of pregnancy.
She refused to give up hope. "I just knew that I was meant to be a mother," she said. "Every time I miscarried I felt more determined. I never felt like giving up. Even though doctors couldn't tell my why it was happening, I felt sure there was a cure. I just knew I had to persevere."
Angie then read about Dr Hassan Shehata, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Trust, who has spent the last ten years researching and helping women who suffer recurrent miscarriages. She got in touch and made an appointment with him.
Dr Shehata had been working with an immunologist at the Trust, Dr Amolak Bansal, to find out why some women's bodies reject their pregnancies. Their work focused on 'natural killer cells', which are found in everyone's white blood cells and defend a body against infections and foreign bodies.
They found that some women's natural killer cells are so aggressive they attack the pregnancy, which is exactly what was happening to Angie.
Dr Shehata explained: "About ten years ago, a doctor in the states proved that there was a link between these natural killer cells and infertility. I became interested in the subject and we began work to further study the link. After three years of hard work, we mastered it. We knew how to test the function of the natural killer tests to see how aggressive they were and we knew how to treat it. By giving suitable women steroids, we can lower the number of natural killer cells and increase their chances of having a baby."
Speaking about Angie's experience, Dr Shehata added: "Angie is an amazing woman. She is a very strong woman, and had such a great sense of belief. The odds of having so many miscarriages are miniscule, but she was so determined to carry on. I am so happy that she has got her dream - a healthy daughter.
Angie added: "I can't explain how I feel. I have to pinch myself sometimes because I just can't believe it's happened - she's perfect in every way. Being a mum is everything I thought it would be, and I'm just so happy that Dr Shehata could help me. I cannot thank him enough."
Take a look at one of our Charities - The Miscarriage Association - making a positive difference to anyone affected by the loss of a baby in pregnancy