Case Report: Early Neonatal Death Due To Liver Rupture Caused By Maternal Abdominal Manipulation And Massage In Laboour

Abstract

An early neonatal death due to liver to liver rupture caused by maternal abdominal manipulation and massage is presented. An apparently health baby girl was born to 26 years old primigravida who came in the second state of labour and deliver of her baby within eight minutes of arrival to the labour ward. Her labour lasted about 4 hours and she had gone for abdominal manipulation and massaging before coming to hospital. Apgar score at birth was 8 recorded 9 at minutes. The baby was discovered to be very pale about 10 hours delivery, so admitted in the special care baby unit where she died shortly afterwards while being investigated. Relations were aggrieved and had accused the hospital of negligence. The wrote to the hospital to explain the circumstance of the baby\'s death.

An autopsy (on the body) revealed massive intro – abdominal haemorrhage resulting form a linear of the lobe of the liver. It was concluded that the massging hands may have ruptured the baby\'s liver and she bled slowly and died of hypovolaemic shock ten hours later.

Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice Vol.7(1) 2004: 41-42