A 15-day-old baby girl died at the Salesi maternal and child hospital in Ancona from a mix of pathogens: whooping cough and bronchiolitis.
The hospital did everything possible, so much so that the Prosecutor's Office did not consider it necessary to open a file on the matter, local media reported today.
The baby, born on January 21, arrived at Salesi with a cough and refusal to eat.
However, antibiotics, intubation and mechanical ventilation were useless.
"A tragedy - say the doctors - which could have been avoided if the mother had undergone the whooping cough vaccination during pregnancy".
Newborns cannot be vaccinated before two months of age and are at risk of contracting infections until then.
Today the parents, who wish to remain anonymous, sent a message: "we don't want what we are going through to be experienced by other families. We need to provide information, no one told us during pregnancy to get the whooping cough vaccine".
Among the various tests carried out, she says, the gynecologist who followed her never proposed this vaccination which must be carried out around the 28th week of gestation in order to transfer the antibodies to the unborn child who can be vaccinated from the second month of life.
"Before a few days ago I didn't even know what disease pertussis was. I did all the tests possible and imaginable, they asked me for various swabs before giving birth, but no one told me to get vaccinated for whooping cough", says the mother.
"The joke in recent days has also been to read some comments in which it is said that I am anti-vax. No, I am a mother who trusted her gynecologist and who was not told about this vaccine and how much it would be It was important to protect my little girl. I would like to know how many gynecologists recommend this type of vaccination and from this tragedy I at least want to give some advice to expectant mothers. Get vaccinated."
"The advert for the vaccine against shingles often appears on TV but no one talks about the whooping cough vaccine - they insist -. If there had been more information perhaps we would still have our daughter in our arms. Long live".
"Doctors and nurses were exceptional, they cried together with us - conclude the parents -. A doctor brought us plaster to make a cast of our little hands and feet".
Reproduction reserved © Copyright ANSA