UK Mom with Factor V Leiden Gives Birth; Nominates doctor

After three miscarriages and five rounds of IVF therapy over the course of five years  a mom from the United Kingdom was able to give birth to a healthy baby boy this past February.

When  Amanda Sills found herself pregnant again in 2012 she decided to seek out the help of an expert that discovered she had a common clotting disorder called Heterozygous Factor V (five) Leiden that has a tendency to cause multiple miscarriages.

Without the help of this expert, Dr. Siobahn Quenby, a professor at University Hospital, little Zack Sills may not be here.

“Without Professor Quenby’s help and support, we would have continued to  miscarry and never achieved our dreams of being parents,” Amanda told the Coventry Observer.

“Her ability and experience makes her one of the top miscarriage specialists  in the country and we can’t thank her enough for everything she’s done for  us.”

The Sills family, who is expecting again, has nominated Professor Quenby for a Tommy’s Award.  This award is given to nominated medical practitioners that played an important role in the delivery of a premature or difficult birth.  You can read more about the Tommy’s here.

Many women have experienced frequent or multiple miscarriages and spent thousands on fertility treatments without a birth to show for it.  They often seek answers from their OB/GYN, who may or may not be familiar with clotting disorders that can complicate pregnancy.  Some simple blood tests can confirm a thrombophilia that could be causing recurrent miscarriage.

Women who are have experience multiple miscarriages may want to consult with a hematologist in conjunction with their primary care and women’s health physicians.

Further reading: Factor V Leiden; Recurrent Miscarriages; MTHFR Mutation; Protein C & S Deficiencies

Photo Credit: Coventry Observer