Mom, 30, Fears for Her Premature Son’s Health After She Was Hit by an E-Bike During Pregnancy: ‘I Screamed’
NEED TO KNOW
Siobhan Barling gave birth to her son, James, six weeks prematurely after being struck by an e-bike at a pedestrian crossing in Poole, England
The mother of three has been warned that her baby boy might have problems with his sight, lungs and stomach because of his premature birth
"Maybe the accident wouldn't have happened if everyone slowed down a little bit," Barling told the BBC
A woman is sharing concerns about her baby boy's health after an e-bike collision[1] forced her to give birth six weeks prematurely.
At around 3:50 p.m. local time on Jan.
26, Siobhan Barling was hit by an e-bike while using a pedestrian crossing in Poole, England, the BBC[2] reported. Barling, 30, was 34 weeks pregnant with her third son at the time of the collision. Advertisement
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A 13-year-old boy, who is believed to have been driving the vehicle while carrying a pillion passenger, did not stop at the scene, said Dorset Police in a news release[3].
He was later arrested on suspicion of a driving offense, but released amid an ongoing police investigation, per the BBC[4].
In a BBC interview published on March 10, Barling recalled that her mind went immediately to her baby after she was hit by the e-bike. "I just kept thinking he's dead, my baby's gone. That's it," she told the outlet.
Police road closure (stock image)Credit: Stephen Barnes/Getty
The mom was supported by passersby until a family member arrived at the scene. She was then transferred by ambulance to the maternity unit at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, having been initially seen at Poole Hospital's A&E.
Barling recalled that it didn't feel like her baby was moving anymore after she was hit.
However, once she got into the ambulance, contractions unexpectedly began. Advertisement Advertisement
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The medical team decided to deliver her baby boy, James, by emergency Caesarean section, the BBC reported.
"I cried and I screamed," Barling recalled to the outlet. "I knew that they were doing it for the right reasons, I was completely understanding of that, but there was every little part of me that said, 'Is there nothing else we can do? Is there no other way?' "
She continued, "Since they said that he was coming early, my first worry was, 'Is he going to be born OK?
Are his lungs going to be developed enough to work?' "
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