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British Doctors Leave Preemie to Die
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Baby Jayden had the misfortune of being born two days too early.
Even though he was born at 21 weeks and 5 days into his mother's pregnancy, the preemie had a strong heartbeat and was moving his arms and legs upon delivery. But according to his mother in an interview with the Daily Mail, Jayden's doctors refused to offer him medical attention or access to intensive care because little Jayden was just two days shy of the 22-week cutoff date for treating premature babies established in the British national healthcare guidelines.
Unbelievably, the desperate pleas of Jayden's mother, Sarah Capewell, to help her still-breathing child were ignored. Capewell claims that she told the NHS doctor, "If he's born alive you have to help him." According to the story, Capewell said the doctor, following guidelines for British state hospitals for treating premature babies, responded, "No, we don't."
In England babies born prior to 22 weeks are not even legally recognized as babies and therefore are not issued birth certificates; Capewell had to fight to get both a birth and death certificate for her "fetus."
According to the Daily Mail, Capewell's midwife told her, "They won't come and help, sweetie. Make the best of the time you have with him." Indeed. Baby Jayden survived another two hours before he died in his mother's arms.
When Sarah Capewell entered James Paget Hospital in Norfolk, England she was not expecting to deliver a healthy -- or even live -- baby. She had gone into early labor, but was denied injections to try to stop the labor because she was not yet at 22 weeks of gestation. She was also denied steroid injections to help strengthen her baby's lungs for the same reason.
"When I went into labor I was told he would be born dead, disabled and his skin would most likely be peeling off," she recounts on her Web site, Justice for Jayden. Her doctor's advice was for her to treat the birth as a miscarriage, since her child was likely to be stillborn.
But that's not what happened. According Capewell, "he put out his arms and legs and pushed himself over" upon delivery and despite his doctor's grim prediction, his mother writes that "in actual fact [Jayden] was perfect." According to the Daily Mail, the midwife present at delivery described Jayden as a "little fighter."
Amellia Sonja Taylor was also a "little fighter." The 21-week-old Florida preemie who only weighed 10 ounces at birth defied odds and just celebrated her second birthday despite her doctors' pessimistic prognosis for survival.
So did Heather Pope. Though she was 23 weeks old, she was only 1.5 pounds and was given a mere 10 percent chance of survival. Heather's mother told the BBC that, "The doctors initially told us they would not do anything, but we insisted they at least try, and thankfully they came round." Heather is now a healthy and happy grade-schooler.
Sadly, Jayden Capewell was never given the chance to prove his doctors wrong. He was treated as a number, not a patient. And now the mother is asking why and waging a campaign to change England's national guidelines.
But Capewell is discovering that her noble crusade is tied up in her nation's ugly abortion politics. In England, there is genuine concern that lowering the viability age of a fetus would trigger another national debate over abortion limits as it did in 1990 when scientific evidence of fetus viability outside of the womb was the reason politicians lowered abortion limits from 28 to 24 weeks.
The good news for pro-lifers, like myself, is that if viability remains a benchmark for public acceptance of abortion, science is on our side. If only the battle to change Britain's guidelines didn't come at the expense of Jayden's life.
Even though he was born at 21 weeks and 5 days into his mother's pregnancy, the preemie had a strong heartbeat and was moving his arms and legs upon delivery. But according to his mother in an interview with the Daily Mail, Jayden's doctors refused to offer him medical attention or access to intensive care because little Jayden was just two days shy of the 22-week cutoff date for treating premature babies established in the British national healthcare guidelines.
Unbelievably, the desperate pleas of Jayden's mother, Sarah Capewell, to help her still-breathing child were ignored. Capewell claims that she told the NHS doctor, "If he's born alive you have to help him." According to the story, Capewell said the doctor, following guidelines for British state hospitals for treating premature babies, responded, "No, we don't."
In England babies born prior to 22 weeks are not even legally recognized as babies and therefore are not issued birth certificates; Capewell had to fight to get both a birth and death certificate for her "fetus."
According to the Daily Mail, Capewell's midwife told her, "They won't come and help, sweetie. Make the best of the time you have with him." Indeed. Baby Jayden survived another two hours before he died in his mother's arms.
When Sarah Capewell entered James Paget Hospital in Norfolk, England she was not expecting to deliver a healthy -- or even live -- baby. She had gone into early labor, but was denied injections to try to stop the labor because she was not yet at 22 weeks of gestation. She was also denied steroid injections to help strengthen her baby's lungs for the same reason.
"When I went into labor I was told he would be born dead, disabled and his skin would most likely be peeling off," she recounts on her Web site, Justice for Jayden. Her doctor's advice was for her to treat the birth as a miscarriage, since her child was likely to be stillborn.
But that's not what happened. According Capewell, "he put out his arms and legs and pushed himself over" upon delivery and despite his doctor's grim prediction, his mother writes that "in actual fact [Jayden] was perfect." According to the Daily Mail, the midwife present at delivery described Jayden as a "little fighter."
Amellia Sonja Taylor was also a "little fighter." The 21-week-old Florida preemie who only weighed 10 ounces at birth defied odds and just celebrated her second birthday despite her doctors' pessimistic prognosis for survival.
So did Heather Pope. Though she was 23 weeks old, she was only 1.5 pounds and was given a mere 10 percent chance of survival. Heather's mother told the BBC that, "The doctors initially told us they would not do anything, but we insisted they at least try, and thankfully they came round." Heather is now a healthy and happy grade-schooler.
Sadly, Jayden Capewell was never given the chance to prove his doctors wrong. He was treated as a number, not a patient. And now the mother is asking why and waging a campaign to change England's national guidelines.
But Capewell is discovering that her noble crusade is tied up in her nation's ugly abortion politics. In England, there is genuine concern that lowering the viability age of a fetus would trigger another national debate over abortion limits as it did in 1990 when scientific evidence of fetus viability outside of the womb was the reason politicians lowered abortion limits from 28 to 24 weeks.
The good news for pro-lifers, like myself, is that if viability remains a benchmark for public acceptance of abortion, science is on our side. If only the battle to change Britain's guidelines didn't come at the expense of Jayden's life.
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ReaderComments (Page 3 of 5)
9-18-2009 @ 11:34AM
suekf said...So , everyone has a chance to live? Where is your outrage at the laws in OUR country that allow for partial birth abortion at the same gestational age (and even older)??? Shame on us for standing in judgement when we do nothing to stop this outright murder of infants everyday in our own country. And don't even start that it is for the mothers health, how do you think they get down the birth canal to have their brains sucked out...there is NO excuse for not allowing them one more minute to fully deliver, and give them to all the families who are begging for an infant.
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9-18-2009 @ 4:58PM
TJ said...And don't forget is was our President in Chicago to fought to KEEP that policy of NOT allowing that same child health care if the abortion failed and the baby was born alive.
9-21-2009 @ 9:22PM
mindy said...Thank you suekf and TJ for bringing up Obama's stance on the terrible issue of partial birth abortion. I have been completely against partial birth abortions for a long time. There have indeed been babies left to die in this country. Some of those had survived an attempted partial birth abortion. One of the most famous cases being baby rowan, a case in which the mother changed her mind when the baby came out alive at an abortion clinic and they refused to help. Our own nation is not perfect in our treatment of babies. The fact that nurses have held some of these babies heads inside the mother to keep the head from coming out so the baby can't be considered a baby who has been born alive in order to complete the brutal process shows we have a long way to go as well.
9-20-2009 @ 8:47PM
mollee said...The exact same thing happened when my water broke I was 19 weeks 4 days and they told me not to even call them (neonatals) when I went into labor, they would not help. I find that insane! They can help you while you're pregnant to keep the baby alive yet when its born its just a fetus! My Jaden was born at 33 weeks gest. They told me to abort him at 19 weeks because he would not live! Drs know absolutely nothing!!!
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9-20-2009 @ 9:32PM
Courtney Shipp-Wynn said...That is so sad... All this story tells me is that there's alot of people that are destined for hell. How can anyone actually see a live baby and refuse proper care because of a stupid "rule book." I hope that the Brits change their policies and that this doesn't become an issue here in our government.
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9-20-2009 @ 11:14PM
Reality Rounds said...Courtney,
Before you send neonatal workers to hell, please tell me what you think "proper" care is for an infant born at 21 weeks. I'm waiting.......
9-21-2009 @ 2:09AM
Courtney Shipp-Wynn said...Reality Rounds/ or Arshloch, there's still a thing called freedom of speech. Furthermore, "destined"-means heading toward a specific destination. Now where in my comment did I imply that a person is definetly going to hell? Proper care is doing "all" "any" "everything" possible to treat or save a life. IMBECILE!! Or do you need me to explain this word as well??
9-20-2009 @ 11:19PM
frynche said...my daughter was born at 22 weeks and I thank God my doctor didn't give up on her. she just celebrated her 25th birthday in May so to say that this child had more than a chance at life in this day and age is putting it mildly. my prayers to the family. see this to the end and don't allow his short but precious life have no meaningless.
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9-21-2009 @ 12:29AM
GRANDMA said...I FEEL SO SORRY FOR THE MOTHER OF THAT BABY AND YES I SAID BABY NOT A FETUS THE DRS WERE WRONG WHAT IF THAT HAD BEEN THEIR BABY THEY WOULD HAVE WANTED EVERTHING DONE. I HAVE 20MO.OLD TWIN GRANDDAUGHTER WHO WERE BORN OVER THERE AND I THANK GOD THEY WERENT BORN EARLY BECAUSE WHAT WOULD THEY HAVE DONE FOR THEM ? ONE DAY THE GOV AND THE DRS WILL PAY FOR WHAT THEY HAVE DONE THEY HAVE NO RIGHT TO JUDGE WHO LIVES AND WHO DIES MAINLY WHEN IT INVOLES A BABY MAY GOD GIVE THE MOTHER SOME PEACE WITH THIS
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9-21-2009 @ 10:32AM
Steve said...This story is why we do NOT want government health insurance in America!
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9-21-2009 @ 10:30PM
Reality Rounds said...This is the last comment I will post on this thread. I do feel that the care of extremely premature and pre-viable infants is an important conversation to have. I do not think infants, no matter the gestational age, should be forced to suffer at all. I have worked on many guidelines on palliative care for infants, so the families and babies can spend their last hours in peace. I have consulted with clergy, and ethicists, and families, and medical professionals on these guidelines. (Not that anyone reading this post cares). Babies can be born too early to survive life outside the uterus. Everyone agrees on this. It is our duty as medical professionals to treat the infant and family with compassion and respect.
What I am not used to is the ad homien attacks and name calling involved, in this very important conversation. I hope and prayer that the conversation can change to a compassionate and respectful one.
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9-21-2009 @ 10:55PM
CCarey said...I have spoken to several friends of mine that are all in the health care profession about this article and the comments that were posted in response. These nurses work in the NICU, Peds, L/D, as well as in Oncology and Surgery (for adults) and every single one of them told me that the comments from the nurses on here must be coming from someone that was completely out of their mind!
In addition, most of them told me that if a nurse neglected to try and keep a child alive that was born alive, they would be fired on the spot.
Yes, its your "duty as medical professionals to treat the infant and family with compassion and respect", but letting a baby die that is not only alive but kicking and crying and showing signs of life and fight is MURDER! It is NOT YOUR JOB to decide who lives and who dies.
If, after you have done everything you can do and the infant is still too weak to make it then that is the way God intended for it to be....and if your not religious then that's the way whoever or whatever you believe in chose for it to be.
If the child is never given the chance to live, never given the opportunity to fight, then how will we ever know what that person was capable of?
To the person that said that the child could be the person meant to cure cancer and to the person to reciprocated with "or a serial killer or rapist".... you were given that chance...shouldn't this child.
As a nurse, you were given the opportunity to go through school and to be taught HOW TO SAVE LIVES.....you were given an amazing gift to help families in need...why waste it because SCIENCE says that something isn't possible?
Furthermore, on the subject of rescitation of infants that are too young gestationally to live outside of the womb.... I realize that in SOME cases, rescitation may be painful for those babies and in SOME cases it may not help...so is the caase with cancer patients as well.
My grandmother was diagnosed with Stage 5 pancreatic cancer...the doctors told her that she may live for 2 or 3 weeks at max. One doctor told her that chemo and radiation would be painful but that it may help her to make it through the next Christmas as least....only an extra 2 months, but to my grandmother and all of us that extra time meant everything. Yes, the treatment was painful, yes she sometimes would rather have died that have to go through the true sickness that the treatment...not the cancer...caused her. She lived for 18 months total after being diagnosed and those were such precious and amazing months to everyone in our family. Should she have been denied those gracious moments because the treatment was "too painful" or because some nurse that thinks she can play God because she went to school for a few years and passed a state board thinks that as a professional she should "treat her with compassion and respect" and that professionals idea of respect is denying treatment....
Just because a newborn has only been on earth for a short period of time, doesn't mean its not a life worth saving...... age is just a number....at least that's what we women tell ourselves when, in our vainest moments, we look in the mirror and see crows feet on our 50th birthdays....
Most of these posts just go to show why Judgement Day is coming and most are on the chopping block!!!!
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9-22-2009 @ 3:42AM
Shell said...While I do feel bad for the mother who lost a child, some of you people are taking this story to a crazy extreme. I believe that if the child was born alive, the child should have treatment but if it didn't look the child was going to make it, the child should be allowed to go on. If any of you believe in God, then you know that if God wants the child to live, the child would live. You are angry at people and you forget about a higher power in play.
Glorius, and your name does not fit you, I don't understand what you are trying to say. I can't for the life of me understand why people do not want healthcare for all. How can the US profess to be a Christian country yet want to deny the least of us. Maybe you who are against univeral health care and assistance for the poor read a Bible different than my Bible. Surely we do not believe in the same God. My God is merciful, my God teaches love, not the hate, the rhetoric and the racism that is spewing from the mouths of idiotic people. I was proud of my country for electing President Obama into office but some of the small minded "people" make me ashamed again. No, I am ashamed that they are in this country. Half of us are making strides into the future while the other half wants to stay in the Dark Ages.
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9-22-2009 @ 3:50PM
Kat said...The baby was still alive those so called doctors should be punished for letting an innocent baby that was born alive die because it is not right at all
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9-22-2009 @ 5:54AM
Elizabeth said...I completely agree with you. Death is a natural part of life, and while it may be tragic that this child didn't really get to experience it to the fullest, it is better that he go quickly and painlessly. I will never understand why people think it is better to prolong someone's life by artificial means than to let them go. If they are truly Christians as they claim, don't you think it's rather selfish to keep them down here than let them go up to God.
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9-22-2009 @ 8:35AM
mct28 said...Oh my gosh! I was an OB nurse for many years. There is no way back in the old days that a doctor or nurse would just throw the baby away. The only way they would allow the baby to die is if there was some kind of congenital problem that can not be fixed and approved by the parents. (such as major deformity that is not compatible with life) This is out and out murder. The technology has evolved to the point that many of these infants can survive. I had 3 daughters that were born early that were cared for in the neonatal unit. Today they are college graduates, wives and moms. I pray for all of these children.
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9-22-2009 @ 9:52AM
jami85523 said...I was a NICU nurse at a Children's hospital for 6 years. What has only been touched upon in this thread is that there is a huge question of the quality of life of these children and their parents. While technology is advancing so quickly, I and many of my fellow nurses believed that, while these circa-22 week babies may be saved, the question is whether it is ethical or moral to save them. The majority of the micro-premies that survive will have life-long health problems, from mild to severe brain damage, eating and digestive problems requiring tube feeding and/or colostomies, breathing problems requiring the child to be on a ventilator, cerebal palsy, and/or life-long dependence on others for daily care. And that is after they leave the hospital. It is not unusual for these babies to be hospitalized for a year or more and the medical procedures required to get them to that point are frequent and painful. There is a huge amount of suffering involved for both child and parents. These procedures can easily max out even the best medical insurance before the child is two years old, although most of my patients were on Medicaid. Many of the families of these babies live a long distance away and must stay locally (Thank God for Ronald McDonald Houses), disrupting jobs, marriages, siblings, and family finances. The saddest situation of all is, after months of treatment and some stability of medical status, some families abandon these babies to the foster care system after realizing the huge responsibility and sacrifice it will take to take care of this child.
I understand the idealism that many of you have, and it is wonderul to hear about the happy and healthy ex-premies out there, but please be respectful of those of us that have seen and experienced so much of the other side of the reality. I loved my job more than anything I have ever done and l loved those babies and families with everything I had to give them. This, however, is the reality. Take care.
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9-22-2009 @ 10:57AM
Kat Jones said...How can anyone not consider this preemie a "child"? The sad truth is, this is now a dead child instead of a live child because of government controlled healthcare.If we Americans think that this will not happen here if Obama gets his Government Healthcare option,they are the ones who are ignorant .
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9-22-2009 @ 3:02PM
J said...I'm glad I had my preemie in the United States! That is just wrong that the baby was breathing on it's own and they didn't do anything to help at all.
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9-23-2009 @ 12:20AM
kim said...I was totally sickened as I read this sad story. My son is special needs and was born at only 26 weeks. He was so tiny and many doctors told us to just let him go that my husband and I were young and could try again, we were shocked and fought tooth and nail for our small miracle. Our Kyle is now 13 years old and yes he has problems but he is happy and so well loved. We owe many thanks to the few Doctors who were willing to give our son a chance at life. God Bless you and your family and take comfort knowing that your beautiful child is in a beautiful place waiting to see you again.
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