A heartbroken mum whose baby was stillborn has launched a campaign to raise awareness over reduced fetal movements.
Lianne Alizadeh, of Morden, sadly suffered a still birth on July 10, one week away from seven months gestation.
She named her stillborn daughter Aaliyah and is campaigning using the hashtag #Aaliyahsangelarmy.
Lianne, 30, is calling on the government to review the NHS treatment which is currently being offered to expectant mothers after she attended labour triage on three occasions with reduced fetal movements.
Speaking to Sutton Guardian she said: “Each time I was checked in triage with a Doppler device to check the babies heart rate and sent home.
“The last occasion the Doppler picked up fetal tachycardia for my gestation so I was then placed on a CTG machine which after four attempts never met criteria.
“I was told not to worry about [ it] as it doesn’t always give accurate results under 28 weeks gestation which is why it is not routinely used before this, then I was sent home and sadly the next day her heart had stopped.”
Lianne, who is a medical student, said that an ultrasound has the ability to pick up such cases and can potentially discover the cause of the issue as well.
“In my case it may have seen not only the tachycardia but also the cause of it however it was not performed," she said.
“I want ensure that a scan is offered in these situations rather than machines currently used which only detect abnormal heart rates and rhythms rather than detecting the cause of them.
“I’ve had so many women message me with similar experiences to mine where they went into hospital with reduced movements to be checked with a Doppler for a minute, then sent home assuring them everything was fine only to find no heartbeat the following day.
“I feel that it is so important to campaign to stop it being a postcode lottery to potentially save more babies and reduce the amount of families having to suffer the same devastation that we are now.”
Lianne has launched a petition which has reached 2,485 signatures at the time of publishing.
To sign the petition visit here.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here