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| Camp Bastion birth: specialist doctors fly out to bring soldier and baby home | Camp Bastion birth: specialist doctors fly out to bring soldier and baby home |
| (about 2 months later) | |
| Specialist paediatricians have flown to Afghanistan to bring home a British soldier who was apparently unaware she was pregnant before giving birth to a boy at Camp Bastion. | Specialist paediatricians have flown to Afghanistan to bring home a British soldier who was apparently unaware she was pregnant before giving birth to a boy at Camp Bastion. |
| The woman, who has asked for her identity not to be revealed, is the first British soldier known to have given birth while serving a tour of duty. Both mother and baby were said to be doing well in the field hospital of the British military base in Helmand. The Ministry of Defence would not comments on reports that the baby had been born five weeks premature. | The woman, who has asked for her identity not to be revealed, is the first British soldier known to have given birth while serving a tour of duty. Both mother and baby were said to be doing well in the field hospital of the British military base in Helmand. The Ministry of Defence would not comments on reports that the baby had been born five weeks premature. |
| RAF Brize Norton confirmed that a specialist paediatric team from John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford had left for Afghanistan to care for the soldier and her child on the flight back to Britain. | RAF Brize Norton confirmed that a specialist paediatric team from John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford had left for Afghanistan to care for the soldier and her child on the flight back to Britain. |
| Earlier an MoD spokesman said: "We can confirm that on 18 September a UK servicewoman serving in Afghanistan gave birth in the Camp Bastion field hospital to a baby boy. Mother and baby are both in a stable condition in the hospital and are receiving the best possible care." | Earlier an MoD spokesman said: "We can confirm that on 18 September a UK servicewoman serving in Afghanistan gave birth in the Camp Bastion field hospital to a baby boy. Mother and baby are both in a stable condition in the hospital and are receiving the best possible care." |
| Days before the soldier was taken to hospital with stomach pains that turned out to be contractions, Camp Bastion had been subjected to a Taliban attack in which two US marines died. The MoD would not comment on reports that the soldier was a gunner in the Royal Artillery who helped provide covering fire for combat troops, saying only that women were "not employed in a frontline capacity" in Afghanistan. | Days before the soldier was taken to hospital with stomach pains that turned out to be contractions, Camp Bastion had been subjected to a Taliban attack in which two US marines died. The MoD would not comment on reports that the soldier was a gunner in the Royal Artillery who helped provide covering fire for combat troops, saying only that women were "not employed in a frontline capacity" in Afghanistan. |
| It said she had still been serving there only because military chiefs had no idea she was pregnant. "It is not military policy to allow servicewomen to deploy on operations if they are pregnant. In this instance the MoD was unaware of her pregnancy. As with all medical cases, when the need arises, individuals are returned to the UK for appropriate treatment/care," a spokesman said. | It said she had still been serving there only because military chiefs had no idea she was pregnant. "It is not military policy to allow servicewomen to deploy on operations if they are pregnant. In this instance the MoD was unaware of her pregnancy. As with all medical cases, when the need arises, individuals are returned to the UK for appropriate treatment/care," a spokesman said. |
| Since 2003 up to 200 servicewomen have been sent home from Iraq and Afghanistan after discovering they are expecting a baby while on a tour of duty – a tiny percentage, said the MoD, of all personnel deployed. Before this week, however, no one had been known to have given birth while in theatre. | Since 2003 up to 200 servicewomen have been sent home from Iraq and Afghanistan after discovering they are expecting a baby while on a tour of duty – a tiny percentage, said the MoD, of all personnel deployed. Before this week, however, no one had been known to have given birth while in theatre. |
| Lt Col Andrea Lewis, commanding officer of the field hospital, said: "This is a unique occurrence, but my team is well rehearsed in the unexpected and they adapted brilliantly to this situation as a result. I am pleased to report that mother and baby are doing well and we are all delighted at the outcome." | Lt Col Andrea Lewis, commanding officer of the field hospital, said: "This is a unique occurrence, but my team is well rehearsed in the unexpected and they adapted brilliantly to this situation as a result. I am pleased to report that mother and baby are doing well and we are all delighted at the outcome." |
| The fact that the soldier was apparently unaware of her pregnancy prompted one military expert to call for women to be made to take a urine test before deployment in order to minimise their chances of ending up pregnant and in danger. | The fact that the soldier was apparently unaware of her pregnancy prompted one military expert to call for women to be made to take a urine test before deployment in order to minimise their chances of ending up pregnant and in danger. |
| "The army needs to make sure, for the welfare of the female soldier concerned, that they are not pregnant before they deploy," said Major Charles Heyman, a former soldier who has written several books about the British army. "I'm not an expert on pregnancy but I'm told that it is easy to tell that a woman is pregnant with a visit to a doctors' surgery and a urine test, and that should perhaps be looked at before women go out on operations." He suggested the baby should be named Bastion after its unusual birthplace. | "The army needs to make sure, for the welfare of the female soldier concerned, that they are not pregnant before they deploy," said Major Charles Heyman, a former soldier who has written several books about the British army. "I'm not an expert on pregnancy but I'm told that it is easy to tell that a woman is pregnant with a visit to a doctors' surgery and a urine test, and that should perhaps be looked at before women go out on operations." He suggested the baby should be named Bastion after its unusual birthplace. |
| All service personnel are given a standard medical checkup before they are deployed, including tests for blood pressure, heart rate, eyesight and hearing. There is no pregnancy test, largely because the MoD believes it is unlikely a woman would fail to disclose her pregnancy if she knew about it, and because of respect for an individual's right to a private medical history. | All service personnel are given a standard medical checkup before they are deployed, including tests for blood pressure, heart rate, eyesight and hearing. There is no pregnancy test, largely because the MoD believes it is unlikely a woman would fail to disclose her pregnancy if she knew about it, and because of respect for an individual's right to a private medical history. |
| All soldiers undertake a rigorous training programme for the six months prior to their deployment, which includes timed marches carrying weights and similarly strenuous activities. Pregnant women would be expected to report some sign of their condition at this stage, but the Camp Bastion soldier is understood to have conceived soon before departing for Afghanistan. | All soldiers undertake a rigorous training programme for the six months prior to their deployment, which includes timed marches carrying weights and similarly strenuous activities. Pregnant women would be expected to report some sign of their condition at this stage, but the Camp Bastion soldier is understood to have conceived soon before departing for Afghanistan. |
| Ever since women were integrated into the armed forces, military chiefs have grappled with the potential for untimely pregnancies. Last year a female soldier gave birth two weeks after returning home from a six-month deployment in Afghanistan. | Ever since women were integrated into the armed forces, military chiefs have grappled with the potential for untimely pregnancies. Last year a female soldier gave birth two weeks after returning home from a six-month deployment in Afghanistan. |
| In November 2011 it was announced that Royal Navy submarines would be fitted with emergency air supplies in case a servicewoman on board was found to be pregnant. In such an event, the submariner would have to use this extra oxygen until she could be evacuated from the vessel, a wait that could theoretically last weeks. | In November 2011 it was announced that Royal Navy submarines would be fitted with emergency air supplies in case a servicewoman on board was found to be pregnant. In such an event, the submariner would have to use this extra oxygen until she could be evacuated from the vessel, a wait that could theoretically last weeks. |
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