Grandmother, Mother, Baby Die In Lagos After Delivery, Doctor Flees

In a bizarre story that has continued to perplex investigators and residents of a Lagos community, three generations of a family have died during the delivery of a baby.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that on May 7, 2015 Dr. Bosun Owolabi, was contacted when 34-year-old Edith Ororobi, went into labour to give birth to her first child ever.

The doctor allegedly raced to the house at Bogije Town in Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos in the dead of the night.

But by the time he was done with the delivery, Edith; her 61-year-old mother, Elizabeth Ororobi, who witnessed the procedure, and the newborn baby, were all dead.

Police sources familiar with the case told our correspondent that Owolabi instantly fled the scene only to contact a relation of the victims on the phone and explained how the grandmother, mother and newborn baby died.

The man, who was contacted was Elizabeth’s younger brother, Jite Tubman.

In his statement to the police, Tubman explained that at about 3.14am on May 7, he received a call from a doctor, whom he later learnt was Dr. Owolabi.

Tubman said, “The doctor said my elder sister died of shock after realising that her daughter, Edith, had died during delivery.

“The father of the dead newborn baby, has travelled out of the country. I later reported the case to the police, who took an ambulance and followed us to the house.”

The bodies of mother, child and grandmother were deposited at the Lagos Island General Hospital.

A police source told our correspondent that by the time they got to the scene, Owolabi, was nowhere to be found.

“The mother was found in a pool of her own blood while the baby was found dead on a bed. The grandmother was also found on the floor lying on her right side. We are still searching for the doctor. The family has even refused to come forward after reporting the case,” a police source said.

The case was transferred from the Elemoro Police Division at Ibeju-Lekki to the Department of Criminal Investigation, Panti, Yaba.

When Saturday PUNCH contacted Dr. Owolabi on the phone to get his side of this story, he said his lawyer would be in a position to tell the story better.

“I don’t want to say what I did not do,” he said.

Asked to explain what actually happened during the delivery and why he was on the run, Dr. Owolabi said, “I am not on the run. That is a lie. I was never arrested and I am not aware that the case is now at Panti (DCI). I cannot say anything further.”

The police believe that Dr. Owolabi works with the Government Health Centre at Arapaji Village, Ibeju-Lekki but explained that the case has been stalled because the family seemed not to be interested in it.

PUNCH NEWS

Don’t Ruin Your Liver with Harmful Habits

In humans, the liver is very important because of the numerous functions it performs. Scientists say this vital organ, being one of the largest in humans, detoxifies the body by ridding it of harmful substances, while it also produces the biochemical substances that are necessary for proper digestion of food.

The presence of a healthy liver in the body is what makes the blood what it is, experts say, as the liver produces the albumin – a major component of blood serum.

A General Practitioner, Dr. Daniel Ogunboyejo, says when a woman is pregnant, in the first three months,the liver is the main site of red blood cell production in the foetus. And even after the baby is born, this organ produces the hormone that plays an important role in the child’s growth and continues to aid the building up of organs and tissues in adults.

Ogunboyejo also notes that when a person’s blood pressure becomes low (hypotension), the liver, working in tandem with the kidneys, produces angiotensinogen – a hormone that is responsible for raising the blood pressure when activated by another enzyme (renin) that is released when the kidney senses low blood pressure.

Experts say the liver is thought to be responsible for up to 500 separate functions, usually in combination with other systems and organs. And that is why they conclude that this organ is necessary for survival, as there is no way to compensate for its absence in the body in the long term.

Scientists say the liver is basically the ‘body’s filter.’ The function of the liver is to process medications, alcohol, and other such chemicals and toxins and remove them from the body. “Therefore, anything you put into your body will, at some point and in some form, pass through the liver,” Ogunboyejo warns.

LIVER DESTROYERS

At a media briefing about Hepatitis C, a specialist in hepatology, gastroenterology and endoscopy, Dr. Aderemi Oluyemi, warns that numerous activities can jeopardise the liver, leading to damages that are sometimes irreversible unless the patient goes for liver transplantation – an extreme and expensive procedure that is not available in the country. How can you damage your liver? These ways…

ABUSING ANABOLIC STERIODS

Many people, especially athletes, body builders and weight lifters, use anabolic steroids without supervision by a competent physician. Yet experts say these synthetic variants of the male sex hormone (testosterone), if used regularly and for a long period, can raise the risk of developing liver cancer as well as some other cancers.

It can also result in liver tumours; the liver may be
enlarged, become deep red in colour and fragile.

“It may also lead to haemorrhagic cystic degeneration of the liver – a rare condition that requires urgent surgery,” Ogunboyejo notes.

UNGUARDED ANTIBIOTIC, painkiller use

Many of the over-the-counter drugs that we use casually without consulting the doctor affect our liver the way we don’t imagine, Ogunboyejo says.

For instance, physicians say drugs used to treat epilepsy (anticonvulsants), cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins), acetaminophen (painkillers) and isotretinoin (used to treat severe acne) all have terrible effects on the liver.

Worse still, a study published in the journal Gastroenterology also shows that of all types of prescription drugs, antibiotics are the ones most likely to cause liver damage.

Ogunboyejo laments that in most cases, people don’t
just take these drugs in isolation; rather, they may combine two at a time. For instance, it isn’t improbable for people to take a combination of antibiotics and paracetamol. “In which case, you increase your risks of liver damage exponentially,” the doctor warns.

The physician therefore counsels, “If you have recently finished a course of antibiotics, or if you have been taking them long-term, it is vital to ask your doctor for a liver function test to determine the health of your liver.”

UNCONTROLLED DIABETIS

According to Diabetologist/Medical Director, Rainbow Specialist Medical Centre, Lekki Phase 1, Dr. Afokoghene Isiavwe, people who are diabetic are more likely to develop liver damage than people with normal blood sugar level.

“More than people probably realise, diabetes has terrible effects on the liver. That is why I recommend that every diabetic has a blood test and ultrasound to check on the health of their liver annually,” she advises.

She adds that the closer you are to a healthy body weight, and the closer to normal your blood sugar level is, the better your liver’s health.

IMPURE WATER, ALCHOL USE

What is the source of the water you drink? For the average Nigerian, we source our water from privately-owned wells or boreholes, which may not be bad enough if the wells are up to standard depth and the water sweet, odourless and colourless.

However, many people don’t know the ‘texture’ of their water, which may be hard or soft.

A study carried out by Scottish researchers show that those who drink ‘soft’ water and who also consume
alcohol risk developing Alcoholic Liver Disease – a major killer.

Soft water is water which has relatively low concentration of calcium carbonate and other ions. It lathers with soap easily and contains few or no minerals such as calcium or magnesium ions.

The study author/liver transplant surgeon, Prof. Roger Williams, says those who drink soft water are exposed to the risk of liver damage because such waters contain lower levels of magnesium – the mineral that helps to protect the liver from the effects of alcohol.

But even on its own, Alcoholic Liver Disease occurs after years of heavy drinking, says a nutritionist, Dr. Tobi Lawrence. “Alcohol can cause inflammation in the liver; and over time, scarring and cirrhosis can occur. Cirrhosis is the final phase of alcoholic liver disease,” she counsels.

Lawrence notes that the longer the time you have been using alcohol, the higher your chances of getting liver disease go up.

“It is also based on the more alcohol you consume,” she warns; advising that even those who claim to be moderate drinkers can still have damaged liver if it’s a habit they persist in for a long period.

SMOKING

Smoking is harmful to virtually every organ in your body. Scientists say there are over 60 chemicals in cigarette smoke, all of which have the potential to affect and disturb all parts of the human anatomy.

These chemicals prevent the liver from performing its main function by making it to age and become less efficient at removing toxins from the body.

FATTY FOODS

Lawrence says foods that are processed and contain lots of preservatives, fats and cholesterol can cause the liver to become clogged with fat residue. Avoid processed, deep fried or fatty foods such as sausage, bacon, corned beef, etc., to allow the liver to unblock itself and regenerate its cells.

Symptoms of LIVER DAMAGE

Symptoms of liver diseases include weakness and fatigue, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, and yellow discolouration of the skin (jaundice).

PUNCH NEWS

Listening to music before and after surgery relieves pain and anxiety

Even patients under a general anaesthetic were in less pain when listening to music, researchers found

Patients undergoing surgery should be allowed to listen to music before, after and during their operations because it is so effective at relieving pain, researchers have suggested.

A new study by Brunel University and Queen Mary University of London found that people who were allowed to relax to their favourite tunes saw their pain levels drop by two points on a scale of one to 10 while they needed less medication to feel comfortable. The study of 7,000 surgical patients also found music made them less anxious and more likely to feel satisfied by the procedure.

Surprisingly, even listening to music while under general anaesthetic reduced patients’ levels of pain, although the effects were larger when patients were conscious.

“Around 4.6 million in England each year and music is a non-invasive, safe, cheap intervention that should be available to everyone undergoing surgery,” said lead author Dr Catherine Meads from Brunel University

“Patients should be allowed to choose the type of music they would like to hear to maximise the benefit to their wellbeing. However, care needs to be taken that music does not interfere with the medical team’s communication.”

The study follows a recent research that found patients are being put at risk by surgeons who listen to music while operating.

An analysis of 20 operations by Imperial College London found that nurses struggle to hear what equipment was being asked for while anaesthetists mistook the beat of the music for patient’s pulse rate.

However, for patients themselves, it appears that music can have a major impact, and could save the NHS millions in pain relieving drugs.

Writing in a linked Comment, Dr Paul Glasziou from Bond University, Queensland, Australia says, “Music is a simple and cheap intervention, which reduces transient discomforts for many patients undergoing surgery.

“A drug with similar effects might generate substantial marketing…The very high heterogeneity…of effects among trials in the accompanying study highlights a research opportunity—to identify how to maximise the effect.”

The research was published in The Lancet.

telegraph.co.uk

Chronic Kidney Disease CKD Nigerians worry over increased kidney failure disease

“One out of seven Nigerians live with chronic kidney disease” –Dr. Bamgboye
The disease Chronic kidney failure describes the gradual loss of kidney function; these result in dangerous levels of fluid, electrolytes and wastes that can build up in the body, producing various symptoms and complications. When condition develops kidney failure, in many countries, dialysis or kidney transplant is the only solution recommended.

View full article from: http://www.dailytimes.com.ng/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd-nigerians-worry-over-increase-in-kidney-failure-disease/