03.04.19
Leeds hospital apologises after new mum died from ‘serious but treatable’ undiagnosed heart condition
A woman who died from an undiagnosed heart condition four days after giving birth could have been treated and saved if the condition had been spotted earlier, a hospital has said.
Selwa Romedan collapsed and died in September 2016 four days after giving birth to her daughter when she was found to have a narrowing valve in her heart.
The 21-year-old had suffered chest pains and shortness of breath and was told by staff at St James’s Hospital in Leeds that she was anaemic, and was told to rest following a blood transfusion.
But it later emerged she was suffering from a mitral valve stenosis and collapsed in the early hours of 25 September 2016 after she tried to get up to feed her daughter.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has apologised to Romedan’s family, after an investigation concluded that she could have been saved if the condition had been diagnosed.
The acting chief executive of the hospital trust, Yvette Oade, said Romedan had shown no symptoms of having a serious undiagnosed heart condition during the pregnancy or delivery of her baby.
She said: “Miss Romedan died in tragic circumstances in 2016 due to complications from an undiagnosed serious heart condition that remained asymptomatic during her pregnancy and subsequent delivery.
"At the time, we undertook a serious incident investigation to help us understand the cause and identify learning from this.
"This concluded that, if the condition had been diagnosed earlier, then treatment would have been provided for this.
“We understand the deep pain caused to Miss Romedan's partner and family and reiterate our sincere apologies and condolences for their loss.”
Romedan’s partner Muhanad Adem said he has now devoted his life to his now two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, but he “never imagined life would be like this.”
Stephanie Kelly, representing the family with law firm Slater and Gordon, said Romedan’s heart condition was “serious but treatable” and otherwise was a healthy young woman.
"Had she been diagnosed earlier there is no reason she would not have had many more happy years with Muhanad and her daughter.
"Both had endured so much hardship in their young lives already but had finally found happiness and for it to be torn away like this is heart breaking.
“Sadly, Saden will never know her mum but Muhanad is a wonderful dad who is determined to honour Selwa's memory by making sure that lessons are learnt from this.”