Ashleigh endured five miscarriages before welcoming her 'miracle' baby
By Georgia Weir|
Four years ago, after enduring her fifth miscarriage, Ashleigh Fordham was urged to not give up hope just yet.
"My doctor told me that he'd done everything he could for me ... and that in time, there would be some medicine or research that would be able to help me," the New South Wales mum tells 9Honey Parenting.
"It turns out he was right."
Now, thanks to a life-changing diagnosis and surgery, Fordham is mum to 10-week-old son Bentley, and she credits doctors and researchers at The Hunter Medical Research Institute.
In consideration of pregnancy loss, the institute is spearheading pivotal research into understanding the early origins of complications in pregnancy. The 'NEW1000 Study' follows the first 1000 days of life from gestation to about two years old.
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Not only does this program aim to understand and prevent pregnancy complications, but it also aims to understand the early origins of child and adult health and disease.
Dr Craig Pennell, one of the leads behind the NEW1000 Study, tells 9Honey Parenting the research is significant in terms of potential interventions in those first years of life.
"Whether it be cardiovascular health, obesity, diabetes, attention problems, hearing problems, asthma, allergies, gut problems, essentially, all the way across the spectrum of disease, because we know that what happens in the first 1000 days impacts your risk of those conditions across your life," he explains.
"And the exciting news is that potential interventions in those first 1000 days has the impact to change trajectories for life. So it's a great window of opportunity."
This program, as well as other initiatives headed by HMRI, has already produced promising results.
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After Ashleigh Fordham got in touch with HMRI, they were able to diagnose her with a cervical issue they found to have contributed to her pregnancy losses. The issue was subsequently rectified with a surgery.
"At first I was so nervous and scared," the new mum admits.
"Dr Pennell told me about a new surgery and then contacted me a week later. I ended up having a transabdominal cerclage, which was like a Caesarean that permanently closed my cervix. In the past, I'd tried all the normal stitches and they'd all failed."
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The surgery was a success and Fordham went on to carry a pregnancy to term, welcoming son Bentley.
HMRI are working hard to develop ways to identify risk factors early on in pregnancy with better and more effective testing.
"I want families to have hope," Dr Pennell says.
"My hope with this research is that pregnant women get the best care that they can and to improve our ability to identify people early who are going to have issues so we can prevent them."
Today is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day, supporting the thousands of families affected by the loss of a baby. It's part of a wider month raising awareness and support for pregnancy and infant loss.
If you or someone you know needs grief support, call Red Nose 24/7 on 1300 307 308.?
