THE TRAGIC death of a mother less than 24 hours after the birth of her fourth child was yesterday put down to a rare syndrome called eclampsy.
There had been speculation that 34-year-old Chrystalla Krassia, who died late on Tuesday, could have been saved if the blood sent for a transfusion to the private clinic where she had given birth had arrived from Larnaca hospital sooner or if there had been a public hospital closer to her home.
Her father, Anastassis Pyrillis, who lost his son during a National guards exercise 14 years ago, had criticised the lack of proper state hospital facilities in the area as his daughter lay comatose on Tuesday night.
However, Krassia’s brother-in-law Marcos Fakonis yesterday said the family had had a change of heart: “What happened was not because the blood was late. That was a coincidence. This was the will of God. We do not want to tarnish my sister’s memory by throwing around blame.”
State coroner Sophocles Sophocleous said yesterday that all possible medical care had been given to Krassia and that she had died of eclampsy, a condition that causes epilepsy symptoms and convulsions. He said she had received the blood sent from the hospital but that her body had rejected it and that it would in any case have had little effect on her condition.
Krassia was a nursery school teacher in Paralimni. She died in intensive care at Larnaca hospital at 8.45pm on Tuesday. She was being treated there after suffering complications when going into labour one month early and giving birth at a private clinic in Kokkinotrimithia.
She had been taken to the clinic at 7pm on Monday complaining of backache. There, doctors found she had high blood pressure and symptoms of pre-eclampsy, and she underwent a caesarean at 11pm after falling into a coma. Her baby boy was pronounced to be in perfect health.
Eclampsy, also known as toxaemia of pregnancy, causes high blood pressure accompanied by protein in the urine or a retention of fluids and usually develops before the twentieth week of pregnancy or before the end of the week following delivery. It is a more severe form of pre-eclampsy and usually results in coma and is fatal. Its cause is unknown.
Krassia was buried in Paralimni yesterday afternoon. She leaves a husband, Costakis, and four children, Adamos, 12, Stylianos, 5, Philia, 3, and the new arrival who has yet to be named.
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