The web saved my baby's life
Key points
- Many health professionals have raised concerns about the quality of medical information available on the internet.
- She was so worried that she sent an e-mail to the "Ask an Expert" page of a women's online community and information resource website, www.ivillage.co.uk.
- Nearly five months later Stephanie is still furious by the way she feels the NHS has let her down.
- A spokeswoman for the British Medical Association cautioned against sole use of the internet for diagnosis.
Many health professionals have raised concerns about the quality of medical information available on the internet. But BBC News Online's Jane Elliott talks to one young mother who says advice she received via the web saved her baby daughter's life.
Some doctors call them the "cyber-chondriacs" while others believe the internet is posing a danger to patients whose own research leads them to ignore sound medical advice.
One young mother, however, claims that logging on saved her baby after first her GP, then a hospital, failed to spot that she was in labour.
It seemed as if history was about to repeat itself, when nearly two months before her full term, Stephanie was sure her waters had broken.
The 23-year-old, who had suffered a previous miscarriage, went to see her doctor who assured her that her symptoms were simply a case of incontinence.
But as the leak became a gush and she started to suffer back pain too, Stephanie became increasingly concerned.
"They had promised to keep a special eye on me because of my past history," she said.
Website query
She was so worried that she sent an e-mail to the "Ask an Expert" page of a women's online community and information resource website, www.ivillage.co.uk.
The website's resident obstetric physio, Christine Hill, sent back a speedy reply warning Stephanie that it sounded like her waters had broken and urging her to go to the hospital immediately.
She rushed to the labour ward on the Tuesday morning with her husband Steve, but was fobbed off by medics who told her she was simply suffering from a kidney infection.
But spurred on by the knowledge that someone was taking her seriously, Stephanie kept on insisting that something was wrong, and on the Thursday she was told she could come in.
At 7.30am on the Friday morning medics told her she was officially not in labour, but she demanded a second opinion and was given her first physical examination.
The doctor found she was nine-tenths dilated and just over five hours later she gave birth to baby Amelia, who weighed in at 6lb 8oz.
'Traumatic'
Nearly five months later Stephanie is still furious by the way she feels the NHS has let her down.
"I think it is disgusting that doctors should have advised me that there was nothing wrong.
"I thank my lucky stars that Amelia survived and that was thanks to Christine's advice."
But she said the birth had been extremely traumatic because she had been so far on in her labour that she was unable to have any pain killers.
"I was in absolute agony and I had suffered for a whole week before I gave birth."
Written and revised by
David Cohen, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
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