A Texas mother is searching for answers after her pregnancy came to an abrupt end after 16 weeks when doctors were unable to find the pulse of the fetus.
KXAN-TV reported that 39-year-old San Marcos, Texas resident Audrey Thornton spent weeks wondering what happened to the remains of her unborn infant after her pregnancy was terminated at the Central Texas Medical Center. Because her pregnancy did not reach 20 weeks, Texas law considers her pregnancy a miscarriage, instead of considering the baby as stillborn.
“I just wanted to know what my options were so that my baby could be at peace,” Thornton told KXAN-TV. “Going to bed every night not knowing that my baby is at peace is horrible... Having to bug people to find out where my son is and what the next step was I think is the worst part”
After a three-week delay, the hospital tracked down the baby's remains, and will have the child cremated at no cost.
“All of us at CTMC grieve with the Thornton’s regarding their loss. Our Chief Nurse and I met with the family last week to discuss their concerns and we have been finalizing funeral arrangements since. We’re working diligently to provide the family with a thoughtful and dignified resolution to a very difficult situation,” read a statement from the president and CEO of the hospital, Anthony Stahl.
The hospital added it is reviewing policy to ensure an incident like this does not happen again.
