INTRO
Believe it or not – at the moment when Pete came into this world, he was laughing. Specialists state – and it’s a scientific fact – that any baby, before he or she sees the light, passes through unbelievable sufferings. There are lots of reasons for that: baby’s organism gasps, for its lungs are only unfolding; mom is screaming – and while she screams, baby’s heart nearly stops pumping thus causing oxygen hunger; vaginal muscles in the birth canal compress child’s head like vice clamps. In spite of all that Pete did not shed a tear; at the moment of birth he was laughing, and that’s it. Dr. Eugene G. Khovaev, a gynecologist with a 30-years’ experience and author of a Ph. D. thesis about progressive methods of ovarian cyst surgery, highly appreciated in due time all over Moscow, was immediately called to hospital to investigate such an extraordinary case. The aged doc, who had seen so much in his life, gave the baby a scrupulous survey: during the procedures he was bending brows, sighing, and in the end, lost for proper words, just said, “What a strange… abbreviation!”
Nonetheless, the fact was that something really extraordinary had happened, and no one of the doctors could find a more or less reasonable explanation for Pete’s case. The latter, against the odds, staying at maternity clinic, was developing quite well – without any abnormalities in his organism. Before leaving the clinic Linda, Pete’s mother, was told about the peculiarities of her case and asked – if she finds any reason for uneasiness in terms of baby’s mental or physical health – not to take the boy to her district child health centre but visit the special one they had recommended, and do that as soon as possible. In advance, they sent there all the Linda’s documents dealing with her pregnancy, as well as information about baby’s height, weight, appetite, and so on. It was a good thing that the staff of the maternity clinic had enough wisdom not to give publicity to this case – organize a special council hard on the heels or, even worse, invite media. Thus they preserved a huge mass of mother’s nerve cells; after all, she herself was very startled with what had happened.
We are riding before the hounds, though. First, it is worth mentioning that Dr. Khovaev, right after what he had seen, requested Linda’s prenatal record and studied it with great attention. To those who have little to show in medicine, the further facts may seem dull and even annoying – but we can’t ignore them if we want to arrive at a comprehensive picture and to make sure that nobody accuses us as illiterate manipulators. After all, everyone has his own opinion about this or that phenomenon, and nobody deprives him or her of the right to have it. So, in Linda’s record the experienced gynecologist didn’t find any warning signs:
the patient was registered in her district maternity welfare centre and submitted to blood, urine, vaginal smear and ECG tests; then she was examined by a therapist, an ophthalmologist, an ENT specialist and a dentist – no alarming symptoms;
clinical blood analysis – no inflammatory processes in organism. For the first time – as prescribed – general analysis was made when the second month of pregnancy started, and further was repeated every month before delivery occurred. There was suspicion of anemia, but it turned to be false – further tests prove that. Changes in quantity of red and white blood cells, blood platelets and their proportion; Hb level; red blood cells sedimentation rate, and clotting tendency of blood – everything within normal limits;
biochemical analysis – no operational disturbance of internals. First made on the date of patient registration, one more at the phase of 30-week pregnancy, no additional analysis recommended;
blood glucose test – passed on the date of patient registration, and once again at the phase of 30-week pregnancy. No glucose level increase registered; no patient’s complaints registered re clinical symptoms of diabetes, such as sharp thirst, excessive urination and skin itch;
hemostasiogram – test passed on the date of registration and at the 30-week phase; in terms of prothrombin ratio, clotting time, bleeding time – within normal limits;
blood tests on alpha fetoprotein, Serum Beta hCG Qualitative, and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (the latter interested Dr. Khovaev most of all, since it determines the risk of having Down syndrome and dropsy of brain) passed at the phase of 18-week pregnancy and were computer-processed, as prescribed – within normal limits;
pregnancy sickness – first registered at the 10th week (early phase). Patient’s complaints: depression, weakness, nausea, increased saliva flow, vomiting up to 5 times a day. Weight slightly lowered. Specialists prescribed special therapy course (correct, as Dr. Khovaev mentioned to himself), namely promenade and moderately warm meals in small portions. After the course negative symptoms disappeared. Further weighing on regular basis at home showed that the patient’s weight loss had been a casual fact;
