'Why did my baby have to die before they took precautions?'
Woman recounts story of premature baby's death
Bethany Cassar at home yesterday holding Kyle's picture. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli
A chance visit by a senior inspector to her work station at ST Microelectronics led Bethany Cassar to link the cysts her 17-week-old foetus had developed with her exposure to the toxic melamine.
The 25-year-old mother-to-be told The Sunday Times yesterday she had been assured by the company's health and safety officer that handling melamine did not endanger her unborn child.
Having been handling melamine for three months before she got pregnant, Ms Cassar continued placing sheets of the industrial chemical into a mould, which would then heat up and emit fumes, safe in the knowledge she was not doing any harm.
When she had an ultrasound at 17 weeks, the doctor told her and her boyfriend Claude Frendo, 26, that their unborn son had 15 cysts on each kidney - there was a risk Kyle Christian would not live.
Inconsolable, Ms Cassar took time off from work to come to terms with the news, and only returned six weeks later. That was when a senior inspector coincidentally passed by and casually asked her what a pregnant woman was still doing working with melamine.
Ms Cassar told him the health and safety officer had assured her it was not a problem, which was when he warned her: "It suits them to tell you that; you had better speak to management."
That was when it clicked that her pregnancy problems could be linked to her work with melamine. After the conversation she confronted management, and she was given a new position within the company where she did not come into contact with the chemical.
Last year, six toddlers died and 300,000 babies fell ill in China after consuming baby formula milk contaminated with melamine. The children had developed kidney stones after melamine, an industrial compound used in making plastics and fertiliser, was added to milk and other products to cheat protein tests, prompting Chinese-made products to be stripped from shelves worldwide.
This same chemical is what killed Ms Cassar's baby. The autopsy results revealed Kyle had died from causes directly linked to his mother's exposure to melamine at ST Microelectronics.
This led Ms Cassar and her partner to file a judicial protest last Thursday against the company in connection with their son's death.
When she moved to another part of the plant, things improved slightly and the cysts on the foetus's kidneys stopped growing and started to recede. However, her doctor was not convinced Kyle would make it and he advised her not to get too emotionally attached to the baby.
"I was meant to have a respirator, proper gloves and something to protect my eyes but nothing of the sort was provided. Instead, I just had a gauze mask through which you could still smell the melamine," she said.
With tears rolling down her cheek, Ms Cassar, who has worked with St Microelectronics as a machine operator for eight years, recalled the roller-coaster pregnancy that has left her emotionally drained.
Kyle was meant to be born on January 10 but the cysts were leading to a short supply of amniotic fluid - which protects the foetus and allows it to develop properly - so the doctors decided to perform an emergency Caesarean in November in a bid to save his life.
"I prayed to the Lord to just let me have him until he was 10 years old, so I could give him one of my kidneys," she said, getting teary-eyed as she recalled the moments of anguish.
On November 20, doctors recommended she take two injections, with a 12-hour gap between each one, to help the baby compensate for the lack of amniotic fluid.
However, soon after the first jab the midwife found an irregular heartbeat and that was when all hell broke loose - the baby would have to be delivered.
"I burst into tears. They literally ran me through the corridors up to the operating theatre," she said.
Mr Frendo rushed to her bedside and made it in time for the delivery.
When she came round they told her Kyle was fine and everything went according to plan. She recalled: "I was so happy. I immediately started to SMS all my work colleagues that he was OK, but sadly my happiness was short-lived as soon he took a turn for the worse."
Some hours later, the nurses told her "fetch a camera, fetch a camera". She did not immediately realise it was because her son was not going to make it.
They wheeled her over to see him and they christened him. "I touched his foot and he moved as if he was tickled, and after that I went to rest."
At 3.45 a.m. the phone by her bedside rang - it was bad news. Kyle was not doing well and they brought him to her; he was shaking. He died 15 minutes later and she cradled him for six hours, not letting go until 10 a.m.
In the aftermath, she fell into a deep depression and became very angry with her employers for not doing more to help her.
"I have just found out the section where I used to work now has respirators. Did my baby have to die before they installed them?" she asked.
Despite the ordeal, she feels ready to have another baby, but prefers to wait a little longer because the looming court case against the company has opened a Pandora's Box of emotions.
She now works with YMCA as a care worker with teenagers, which has helped her cope, while her partner has got her a dog, Fritz, to help temporarily shift her focus.
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15 Comments
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John Agius
Sep 15th 2009, 11:29
Irrespective of money/emotions, the authorities are responsible/accountable to provide a plausible outcome and to take corrective action in whatever way the circumstances of the case may entail. Inaction is not an option and a failure to act can also constitute the actus reus (guilty act) of an offence.
All parties, (Ms Cassar and her boyfriend, the Company and the Regulatory Authorities) can loose as much as they can gain from the case. Irrespective of the kind of settlement, in or outside of court, the outcome reflected in an H&S adverse situation & a fatality. Thus:
- the authorities should ensure that the case is brought to a satisfactory conclusion providing an appropriate understanding of the circumstances and the implementation of the necessary safeguards for a no repeat;
- The company must see how its actions/inactions contributed to the outcome and implement those steps to, first and foremost, provide safety at the place of work; protect its reputation and assess how this can affect its relationship with the insurance, etc.;
- Though money won’t bring back life, it would brink peace of mind for Bethany and Claude. It could also serve to improve the well being of many others.
Samuel Bugeja
Sep 14th 2009, 15:54
@ Lisa Galea. Money won't bring kyle back but for sure i hope justice will be made. If you had this same situation wouldn't you go for court. may such accidents or negligence will Not be repeated.
Lisa Galea
Sep 13th 2009, 23:47
If Bethany Cassar finds all this episode so painful what is she going to gain from a very emotionally trying court case??? It is possible to substiute the loss of a child by cashing in on compensation, would that really make her feel better? Money does not bring back what has been lost.
Catania Amanda
Sep 13th 2009, 20:58
With all respect I think it's better if you say a prayer for the poor angel and for his parents rather than arguing on this issue!
May God bless them! Kuragg Bet!!
(Claude Frendo's cousin)
Mario Mercieca
Sep 13th 2009, 19:08
@MARIO SALNITRO
You said "SHOULD THEY BE FOUND GUILTY. "
And what happens if the court decides that there is no proven link between melamine and what happened to the baby? They will be found not guilty.....and I'm sure you would decide that we are "IN MICKEY MOUSE COUNTRY"
It looks like everyone has already decided that they are guilty!!!
A Cassar
Sep 13th 2009, 18:27
@Joseph Schembri
I'm afraid you are wrong. There are studies which confirm that acute high level radiation causes damges to cells. But there is a great difference between high level acute radiation to chronic low level radiation. This is the same difference between being jumping in a bonfire and blowing out your birthday candles, just because the former kills you doesn't mean that the latter is harmful! Till date there is no conclusive evidence that low dose EMF causes serious health risks.
Here are a couple from hundreds of papers that confirm this:
Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2007 Oct;210(5):635-44.
Bioelectromagnetics. 2009 May 28;30(7):511-524.
Annu Rev Public Health. 2005;26:165-89.
I would appreciate any articles which confirm health risks of such mobile phone masts.
On the other hand, epidemiological studies are still being carried out, espescially since we cannot know the long-term risks as mobile phone antennae have not been with us for many decades. If proof ever comes out of any danger, then we can act.
And the last point. Your mobile phone may emit low EMF, but it uses mobile phone antennae to communicate.
Joseph Schembri
Sep 13th 2009, 17:32
@A Cassar: There have been as many studies that find problems with fields generated by mobile telephony masts as there are studies that found no correlation between morbidity and masts.
Using a mobile phone that emits a few mW of energy for a few minutes everyday is completely different from living next to a high energy transmitter that emits much stronger radiation 24/7
MARIO SALNITRO
Sep 13th 2009, 15:48
IF THIS HAPPENED IN A COUNTRY LIKE USA.
THE PEOPLE IN CHARGE WOULD PAY , NOT IN MONEY BUT IN A STIFF PRISON TERM , SHOULD THEY BE FOUND GUILTY.
BUT WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN MICKEY MOUSE COUNTRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Eric Gahn
Sep 13th 2009, 14:33
@Miguel Micallef
An what would you have this lady, and all other pregnant factory operators, do? Stop working? Haven't you received any bills recently?
A Cassar
Sep 13th 2009, 14:27
@ALL
How are you all so sure that melamine exposure causes bilateral renal cystic dysplasia kidneys?
@Joseph Schembri
I'm afraid that until now there were no conclusive studies on independent peer-reviewed scientific journals that mobile phone antennas cause any serious health risks. If you are convinced that there is such a risk....I hope that you don't own a mobile phone!
Joseph Schembri
Sep 13th 2009, 12:29
"The 25-year-old mother-to-be told The Sunday Times yesterday she had been assured by the company's health and safety officer that handling melamine did not endanger her unborn child."
Similarly I have been assured by mobile phone companies that their masts transmitting high frequency electromagnetic radiation is safe for me and my children. Other scientific studies say otherwise.
One does not depend on a party with direct vested interest for correct information.
Eric Gahn
Sep 13th 2009, 12:08
@Albert Fenech
Off course Albert. The company bankrolls your daily bread.
ALBERT FENECH
Sep 13th 2009, 11:42
I have been closely following this news item since it first appeared in "The Times" last Friday, as well as closely reading through all the various blog contributions. To date most of the information that has appeared is highly emotionly-charged but has certainly not been medically or scientifically checked, authenticiated and backed. Simultaneously many damaging and derogatory remarks have been addressed against the Company PRIOR to the Company having lodged its counter-protest in the Malta Courts. I am not a legally professional person but I personally feel many of the comments are prejudicial to a very serious matter that is currently sub judice.
I wish to urge readers to be very cautious in their contributions and not allow emotion to sweep away their judgement. Many are jumping to ill-based conclusions BEFORE the Company has posted its counter-protest. Surely that is dangerous and can also have legal consequences.
The pursuit of the truth must be legal, without prejudice and medically and scientifically based.
martin saliba
Sep 13th 2009, 11:36
If this chemical is so dangerous to pregnant women why are women allowed to work with it?
Joseph zammit
Sep 13th 2009, 10:34
Sue the company and the health inspector. Oh what a shame! Be brave and look forward Bethany --you are young and beautiful and may God bless you.