Dialysis patient gives thanks for miracle babyBy Diana Washington Valdez / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 11/26/2007 12:00:00 AM MST
Yvette Rosales had a miracle baby.
Rosales has been on dialysis for four years, and it's unusually rare for women receiving kidney treatment to give birth to a full-term baby.
But with good medical care from a determined doctor, her dialysis center, and a lot of praying, little Jesus Elias Ponce was born Oct. 1 without health problems.
"This is only the second time with this that I've known of a patient to get pregnant," said Cecilia Rodriguez, a registered nurse with DaVita Dialysis in the Lower Valley. "In my 25 years, I've only known of two other women on dialysis who got pregnant, and they did not carry their children to full term like Yvette Rosales did."
Women on dialysis generally don't get pregnant because they don't have kidneys, Rodriguez said.
"They're compromised," Rodriguez said. "The dialysis often results in hormonal changes, and some of our young women patients stop menstruating."
Rodriguez said Rosales was a candidate for organ transplant before she discovered she was pregnant.
Rosales, 30, who was at home caring for her children, said she had her first child six years ago, when her blood pressure began to rise. But doctors could not explain what caused her high blood pressure.
Her son Luis Ponce, 6, was born at eight months by C-section. The family suspects the mother's high blood pressure contributed to his speech underdevelopment.
Rosales' high blood pressure eventually damaged her kidneys, and she resorted to dialysis, a lifesaving
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measure for many people with kidney disease.
Then, about four months into the pregnancy, she discovered she was expecting again.
"I didn't plan for it. It just happened," Rosales said. "I was told it was a high-risk pregnancy. I was worried the whole time. I was told people were praying for me."
Rosales is on a form of dialysis she can perform at home. A dialysis machine is attached to her body through the abdomen. Her treatment takes place twice a day, once during the day for 45 minutes and again all night.
Due to the nature of her pregnancy, she was referred to Dr. Frederick Harlass, a doctor in El Paso who specializes in high-risk pregnancies.
"I was told I could lose the baby," Rosales said. "Or that it would not be born full term."
The baby was delivered Oct. 1 at Del Sol Medical Center by Caesarean section, and has been doing fine since then.
Linda Rosales, the baby's grandmother, helps look after her daughter and the two children.
"We were told not to get our hopes up, because it was a very risky pregnancy," Linda Rosales said. "The pregnancy was a surprise. Her menstrual period was erratic and her entire body was bloated. We all got to worrying."
Because she was expecting, Yvette Rosales was taken off the organ transplant waiting list.
After her postnatal care is over, mom will be able to get back on the list.
"When the (Rosales) baby was born and without any problems to the baby or our patient, everyone around here was excited," said Rene Vallejo, a supervisor at DaVita Dialysis.
Diana Washington Valdez may be reached at dvaldez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6140.
http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_7556900?source=most_viewed
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