Home / Health / Pregnancy Symptoms Masked Deadly Leukaemia
Pregnancy Symptoms Masked Deadly Leukaemia
30 Jul
Summary
- New mother diagnosed with AML 10 days after childbirth.
- Tiredness and bleeding gums mistaken for pregnancy symptoms.
- Remission achieved after first round of chemotherapy.
Rebecca Robinson, a 33-year-old product manager from Leeds, experienced a devastating shock when diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) just 10 days after welcoming her newborn daughter in 2024. Fatigue and bleeding gums, dismissed as normal pregnancy symptoms, masked the fast-growing blood cancer. A routine blood test at 28 weeks indicated low iron, treated with tablets, and a dentist attributed her bleeding gums to pregnancy gingivitis.
During labour on April 26, 2024, doctors noted low platelets, and following delivery, Rebecca developed a high temperature, requiring an eight-day hospital stay. Despite tests, her condition remained undiagnosed until two days after discharge, when a bone marrow biopsy confirmed AML. This diagnosis meant she couldn't breastfeed her daughter, Annabel, due to chemotherapy.
Rebecca started chemotherapy two days post-diagnosis and was
