Miracle baby after 18 miscarriages
Pioneering treatment brings baby joy to mum after countless miscarriages
A woman who had 18 miscarriages has given birth to her first baby, after steroid treatment.
Angie Baker, 33, started trying for a baby when she was 20 but miscarried between the fifth and eighth week of every pregnancy.
Distraught after 17 miscarriages, Angie contacted Dr Hassan Shehata at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust. He discovered that she had a high number of Natural Killer (NK) white blood cells, which were attacking the foetus.
“This is the most unusual case I’ve come across,” said Dr Shehata, a specialist in recurring miscarriages. “You’re more likely to win the lottery than have 18 miscarriages through bad luck.”
After being prescribed a steroid treatment, Angie had yet another disappointment to cope with – her 18th miscarriage. But there was still hope: Dr Shehata discovered Angie was diabetic and adjusted her insulin levels, which had gone up after the treatment and caused the miscarriage.
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Angie’s next attempt was a success and she gave birth to a baby girl called Raiya – her ‘little miracle’.
“I’m overwhelmed,” Angie told the BBC, “It seems like a dream. She’s perfect in every way.”
One in five women will have a miscarriage, one in 25 will have two and one in 15,000 will have five, reports Dr Shehata. Find out more about miscarriage and how to cope with loss on MFM.
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