New Mums' Deaths Are A Coincidence
The deaths of two teachers from the same infection after giving birth on the same day seem to be unconnected, said the hospital holding an inquiry.Amy Kimmance, 39, gave birth to a girl and Jasmine Pickett, 29, gave birth to a boy at The Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester on 21 December. But after they were discharged, Mrs Kimmance died two days later and Mrs Pickett died on 24 December.
A spokeswoman for the trust said that although both women died from "complications caused by a group A streptococcal infection, their deaths appear to be coincidental and unconnected to the hospital". She said that Mrs Kimmance developed fatal toxic shock syndrome as a result of a group A streptococcal infection while Mrs Pickett died from a sudden onset of severe pneumonia, likely to have been caused by a group A streptococcal infection.
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The spokeswoman explained that group A streptococcal infections were not superbugs or hospital-acquired infections but were typically community-based. She added that between five and 30% of the population normally carry, but are not infected with, the streptococcus A germ.
The trust's medical director, Dr Kevin Stewart, said: "Our investigations so far show that the maternity unit is unlikely to have been the source of these infections and local women need not worry about coming to have their babies here."
Jasmine Pickett, 29, who gave birth to a boy, was from the Philippines and Mrs Kimmance worked as a teacher at the girl's independent school St Swithun's in Winchester.
Her husband, John Kimmance, said: "The sudden death of Amy has left a huge void not only for me and my immediate family but for a much wider group of friends and colleagues."
Mrs Pickett's husband, David, from Colden Common, said: "Jasmine was a well-loved and respected school teacher from Leyte in the Philippines. Jasmine has been the kind of wife and partner that most men could only dream of."
The hospital's maternity unit has remained open as there were no results directly linking it or its staff to the cause of the fatalities, the trust said. However, "extensive swabbing" of both staff and the unit had been carried out as a precaution.
An inquest has been opened and adjourned an inquest into both deaths, added the trust.
January 2008
ADDITIONAL INFO
 Around 100 mothers die in the UK each year giving birth or shortly afterwards, about two a week.
Streptococcus A - known as Strep A - mostly causes throat infections.
At any one time between five per cent and 30 per cent of the population carry the bacteria on their skin or in their throats. It is easily spread, by person-to-person contact or in droplets from the nose of an infected patient and can be treated, in the case of a sore throat, with antibiotics. If Strep A gets into the bloodstream through a cut or a rash, however, it can cause fatal illnesses. These include necrotising fasciitis (a flesh-eating disease), and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Treatment usually involves surgery to remove infected tissue combined with antibiotics, fluids and other medication.
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