Seven Months Pregnant Woman Dies After Taking Pills To Abort Fetus

A woman in India, who was seven months pregnant, died after taking pills to abort the fetus.

The incident took place in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Earlier this month, a relative of 23-year-old Kumari Kanjaka died during childbirth. On Sept. 20, Kanjaka slipped in the bathroom and suffered injuries. She was rushed to the hospital for treatment and was discharged the following day.

Scared that she would have the same fate as her relative, the woman consumed pills to terminate the pregnancy. On Sept. 26, she was rushed to a local hospital after she complained of stomach pain. She was referred to another hospital, where scans revealed that her uterus had been completely infected.

Emergency surgery was performed to remove Kanjaka's uterus but she did not survive and died the following morning, Latestly reported.

"She was critical when she came here. Tests showed perforations and infections in the womb. We told the family that the uterus had to be removed. We attempted a hysterectomy but she did not recover from the surgery," a senior doctor told the Times of India.

Another doctor told the outlet that the woman’s family members told them she had taken pills to abort the fetus.

"Taking medications to abort the fetus in the seventh month can be extremely risky. The uterus may have been fragile after the fall. Irrational medications could have punctured it. We will have to wait for a detailed autopsy to ascertain the cause of death," the doctor told the outlet.

In a police complaint, a relative said the woman took the pills to abort the fetus, fearing complications during pregnancy. Police have registered a case of unnatural death and will hand over the body to the family members post the autopsy.

Earlier this year, an eight-month pregnant woman in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu died after taking abortion pills without a prescription from a doctor. The woman was rushed to a local hospital after she complained of stomach pain. Doctors found that she had taken abortion pills without consultation with a doctor. The woman and her fetus both died a few hours later.