Advice to women with serious medical conditions ‘Avoid getting pregnant’

People with serious medical conditions who have been advised to avoid getting pregnant are being beseeched to heed that advice. According to the supervisor of the Maternity Ward and Child Health section of the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, Sister Alanda Ballantyne, midwives are very uneasy when they have to deal with patients like these.

“These are high risk patients, that is why they were advised not to get pregnant. If something goes wrong you know we, the health care providers at the hospital, usually get the blame,” stated a concerned Ballantyne.{{more}}

Ballantyne told SEARCHLIGHT that even though she understands a women’s feelings of satisfaction when they give birth to a child, diseases such as sickle cell anaemia and certain heart conditions put the women at serious risk during pregnancy.

There is also concern about the number of unemployed women who are getting pregnant and even those who against all advice are having several children: “Some of them need to stop at one or two maximum but they are still making five and six children,” stated Ballantyne who is concerned about the well being of these children.

“Then there are teenage mothers who drop out of school and those HIV positive persons who are still getting pregnant,” declared the shocked veteran nurse who wonders what these women are thinking, or if they are thinking at all.

Nurse Ballantyne sent out a word of caution and advice to young ladies and told them to make sure that they are not lost by the way-side.