Jessica Cronshaw, a 26 year old teacher in Blackburn, Lancashire (UK) found she was expecting her first baby in June of 2022. She suffered with hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe, even life-threatening form of morning sickness, and was prescribed the anti-nausea medication Xonvea.

Then weeks later, a midwife, Allison Whitehead, told her over a telephone consultation that Xonvea could harm her unborn baby. Jessica tried to reduce her use of the drug but the HG was so bad and her guilt about harming her baby so strong, that in November of 2022 she ended her life by hanging when she was 28 weeks pregnant. She was resuscitated but died following a second cardiac arrest, her cause of death was hypoxic brain injury due to hanging. Her baby girl, named Elsie, was delivered but died four days later and was laid to rest in her mother’s arms.

The situation was beyond tragic but the worst part is, Xonvea, a combination of doxylamine/pyridoxine, is safe to use in pregnancy, it was designed to be used for morning sickness and hyperemesis.

At the inquest in January of 2024, Coroner Kate Bissett concluded that the care Jessica received from Royal Blackburn Hospital contributed to the deterioration of her mental health and resulted in her and her baby’s death. The medical staff failed to properly manage her HG, including weighing her and helping her manage medication for the condition, in addition to the misinformation about her medication. Furthermore, no one accessed her mental health associated with this debilitating condition which prevented her from teaching.

Source:

Goodlad, Nat. 30 Jan 2024. “Failure in care of woman with rare pregnancy sickness.” Lancashire Telegraph.