News

Pregnant Woman Miscarried & Died After Having a Foot Massage in Thailand

Shawn Ambrose

2019-07-26 , 1:00 pm

Unlike most massages, Thai massages leave you wondering whether you should tip your masseuse or call the police.

Even though it’s rough and painful, people never believed there were any real dangers involved.

Until now.

Tragedy in Thailand

A pregnant woman died six months after she fell into a coma while having a foot massage in Thailand.

Wirawan Kedkesri, 25, was a dancer and part-time model. She was also a mother of one.

Wirawan visited a shop in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, on 11 Jan for a foot massage, but lost consciousness mid-way through.

The mother of one was rushed to hospital but suffered a stroke and cardiac arrest in the ambulance, causing a miscarriage.

Since then, Wirawan has been in a coma, kept alive on a life-support machine.

Her five-year-old son, Nong, and other relatives stayed by her side in the hospital.

We previously wrote about Wirawan’s incident when it first happened, hoping she would make a full recovery.

Tragically, Wirawan was pronounced dead on Friday, July 19, at 2.30 pm after her life support machine was turned off.

Her family decided to turn off her life support because she didn’t show any signs of consciousness for six months.

Her uncle, Chaiwat Khamya, said: “It was a very difficult decision to make, but she is at peace now.”

Wirawan died at home surrounded by her family.

Police investigation

Police officers investigating the incident said they are filing new charges against the masseuse, Suthanya Kawee, who was treating Wirawan at the time.

They added that Suthanya should never have massaged Wirawan because it posed a health risk during pregnancy.

In January, Suthanya was charged with “acting negligently and injuring other people, said Lieutenant Colonel Amornchai Trangwatcharakul.

Now, the masseuse may face additional charges for “acting negligently and causing death to other people”.

Diagnosis

Doctors indicated that Wirawan suffered a pulmonary embolism and an ischemic stroke, where arteries to your brain become narrowed or blocked.

Since she was not breathing on the way to the hospital, Wirawan miscarried because her unborn baby suffocated.

She was later declared brain dead.

Health advisory

Dr Khwanchai Visithanon, the deputy spokesman of the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, said: “Women who are less than three months into their pregnancy should avoid massage because it may lead to miscarriage”.

He added that pregnant women should only get massages from qualified practitioners who have undergone “at least 800 hours of training”.

The NHS also advises against “taking any unnecessary medicines or treatments when you’re pregnant”.

Not the first time

Wirawan’s death is not the first of its kind.

One Thai man died while receiving a traditional massage in Pattaya. It turned out that the masseuse was not certified, and that her job was to assist customers.

These tales should serve as a warning to those who seek complementary or alternative treatments.

Massages can be relaxing, but make sure that your masseuse is a qualified practitioner who is certified, or else you could suffer horrific consequences like Wirawan.