Baby of woman with swine flu dies at Wellington Regional Medical Center

WELLINGTON — The baby girl of a woman with swine flu died this morning at Wellington Regional Medical Center after doctors were forced to deliver the child prematurely.
The mother, Aubrey Opdyke, remained in critical condition. Doctors put Opdyke into a coma to give the baby, named Parker Christine, as much oxygen as possible while her mother fought the H1N1 swine flu virus. Doctors decided to deliver the baby today, about 14 weeks before its due date, but the child died, a hospital spokeswoman said. No other details were available.
Opdyke's husband, Bryan, named the baby after his wife was put in the coma. He chose the name Parker because his wife liked the sound of it before she fell ill. They had already picked the middle name Christine in honor of Bryan's mother.
Bryan Opdyke had said doctors might be forced to deliver the baby if his wife's oxygen levels crashed or if the baby began to struggle. They had hoped to wait until at least 28 weeks, if forced to deliver early.
The number of confirmed swine flu cases in South Florida is surging. It's a relatively mild illness for most people, but pregnant women, children, diabetics and people with heart and lung conditions are more likely to develop complications.
Health officials confirmed two weeks ago another pregnant woman was the first Palm Beach County swine flu victim. She died at age 25 on June 27. Doctors were able to save her baby.
Pregnant women represent about 1 percent of the U.S. population, but so far they've represented about 8 percent of those suffering from severe swine flu complications, officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said.