THE HIGH Court has made an order allowing doctors to provide blood transfusions and other medical treatments considered "almost certainly" necessary to save the lives of, or avoid serious injury to, "severely anaemic" twin babies after their birth.
The delivery of the 32-week-old babies - whose Jehovah's Witness parents objected to blood products on religious grounds, but have agreed to abide by the court order - is expected to be induced shortly in light of the suspected seriousness of their condition.
The HSE has said the "potentially critical" nature of the situation meant it had to get the court order now and could not wait until after the babies were born, as that would take time and could put the babies' lives or health at risk. A consultant said transfusion "is almost certainly going to be medically necessary to save the lives of babies C & D".
The refusal of the mother to take Anti-D blood products herself or to allow blood be administered to the babies in her womb, has placed the babies at risk of anaemia, which can lead to death, and has also risked them suffering jaundice, which can lead to deafness, cerebral palsy and lifelong severe disability, doctors told the court.
Doctors said the "ideal management" of the pregnancy would have been for a foetal blood sample to be taken and the unborn children to receive a transfusion in the womb to treat any anemia. However, that was not possible because of the parents' beliefs and doctors say the babies will instead have to be delivered prematurely, raising "all the risks associated with immaturity and pre-term delivery". In a letter read in court yesterday, the babies' 31-year-old mother said she and her husband "love our children with all our hearts" and did not want them "to die or cause them harm".
Their religious beliefs meant they could not consent to blood products being administered, but they understood doctors believed there was no alternative and the parents would not interfere with the court's decision.
The babies' mother has a Rhesus D negative blood group while her husband is Rhesus positive. Their last baby, now aged four and healthy, was Rhesus D positive. The mother was advised to take anti-D blood products to avoid risk to future pregnancies but refused, on religious grounds, to do so.
A consultant said that, because of the mother's refusal to take anti-D, she had developed antibodies to Rhesus D positive blood cells; her twin babies are Rhesus positive and scans indicated the mother's antibodies were destroying the babies' red blood cells, placing their lives and health at risk. Doctors believed the twins would require transfusions, perhaps within minutes of their birth, to try and avoid risk of death or serious injury.
In those circumstances, Ms Justice Mary Laffoy yesterday granted the HSE a final order allowing doctors administer to the babies after their birth blood transfusions or other treatments considered "medically necessary" to avoid death or serious injury.
The order was being made on the clear understanding that, as appropriate, there would be consultation with the parents, the judge added.
Jehovah's Witnesses statement
In a statement issued last night, the office of public information of the Jehovah's Witnesses said "Jehovah's Witnesses believe that life is sacred and that Christians should explore all means acceptable to God to preserve it.
"As believers in the Bible we support the family's personal decision to obey the Bible's command to 'abstain from blood' - Acts 15:20.
"When medical personnel propose a blood transfusion, Jehovah's Witnesses request the use of scientifically proven non-blood medical alternatives, which are widely accepted and used by the medical community. We regularly work with clinicians to obtain excellent medical care and we appreciate their conscientious efforts to accommodate our choices."
