New mum is medical pioneer
A young Shrewsbury woman has made Shropshire medical history. Lucy Sambrook, 19, is believed to be the first kidney dialysis patient in the county to have given birth and nationally such events are very rare.
A young Shrewsbury woman has made Shropshire medical history. Lucy Sambrook, 19, is believed to be the first kidney dialysis patient in the county to have given birth and nationally such events are very rare.
Both she and baby Victoria,who was born at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital on July 20, are doing well. But Lucy, who lives at Harlescott with partner Marcus Robson, will need to continue receiving dialysis three times a week.
She has a little known genetic disorder of the kidneys called Allports Syndrome and her condition had been controlled through tablets.
However just over four months into her pregnancy she became ill. Tests showed that her kidney function was down to just 10 per cent and she had to start having dialysis six days a week.
But her consultant and doctors at the hospital designed a special form of the treatment which was more gentle on her system and offered more protection to the unborn baby.
Pregnant dialysis patients are extremely rare and there is a high risk of miscarriage.
Known as acetate-3 biofiltration, this type of special dialysis has been used in Europe but the Royal Shrewsbury renal unit is the first in the country to have used it.
"Things went all right for me but it did get very tiring towards the end," said Lucy who was also regularly scanned.
"I am feeling a lot better and I am hoping that my dialysis can eventually be reduced to two days a week."
Looking to the future, she said she will need a transplant.
Hospital spokesman, Adrian Osborne, said that during the last two months of her pregnancy, Lucy needed 66 dialysis sessions, totalling about 230 hours.
By Dave Morris