Alec
03-12-2004, 11:57 AM
SALT LAKE CITY (AP)--A pregnant woman who allegedly ignored medical warnings to have a Caesarean section to save her twins was charged Thursday with murder after one of the babies was stillborn.
Prosecutors said Melissa Ann Rowland, 28, didn't want the scars that accompany the surgery.
An autopsy found the baby died two days before its Jan. 13 delivery and that it would have survived if Rowland had had a C-section when her doctors urged her to, between Christmas and Jan. 9. The other baby is alive, but authorities had no further information.
The doctors had warned that without a C-section, the twins would probably die, authorities said. A nurse told police Rowland said a Caesarean would ``ruin her life'' and she would rather ``lose one of the babies than be cut like that.''
``We are unable to find any reason other than the cosmetic motivations'' for the mother's decision, said Kent Morgan, spokesman for the district attorney.
Court documents give no address for Rowland, and she isn't listed in area telephone books. An attorney was to be appointed for her Friday, Morgan said. A court appearance was set for Tuesday.
The charges carry five years to life in prison. Rowland was jailed on $250,000 bail.http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/ap/ap_story.html/National/AP.V6216.AP-Mother-Charged.html
Prosecutors said Melissa Ann Rowland, 28, didn't want the scars that accompany the surgery.
An autopsy found the baby died two days before its Jan. 13 delivery and that it would have survived if Rowland had had a C-section when her doctors urged her to, between Christmas and Jan. 9. The other baby is alive, but authorities had no further information.
The doctors had warned that without a C-section, the twins would probably die, authorities said. A nurse told police Rowland said a Caesarean would ``ruin her life'' and she would rather ``lose one of the babies than be cut like that.''
``We are unable to find any reason other than the cosmetic motivations'' for the mother's decision, said Kent Morgan, spokesman for the district attorney.
Court documents give no address for Rowland, and she isn't listed in area telephone books. An attorney was to be appointed for her Friday, Morgan said. A court appearance was set for Tuesday.
The charges carry five years to life in prison. Rowland was jailed on $250,000 bail.http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/ap/ap_story.html/National/AP.V6216.AP-Mother-Charged.html