Police investigating the deaths of a mother and her baby in the German city of Cologne have discovered a toxic substance in a glucose solution that the pregnant woman ingested as part of a routine test for gestational diabetes.
The substance was found in a glucose container that a pharmacy in Cologne used to prepare the solution, police said on Tuesday.
The 28-year-old woman died last week of multiple organ failure, an autopsy found.
Doctors unsuccessfully tried to save her baby through a Caesarean delivery.
It was not clear how far the pregnancy had progressed.
Police and municipal authorities had called on Monday for patients with glucose-containing preparations from the pharmacy in question to not use and return them.
No one had come forward by Tuesday, Police spokesman Ralf Remmert said.
The pharmacy has been prohibited from selling any more self-produced medicine for the time being.
The owner of the pharmacy said he was baffled by the death.
“I am stunned, I can’t explain it,” Till Fuxius said, stressing that he is “a witness, not a suspect” in the investigation.
A doctor had alerted the authorities on Thursday.
Another woman who had been given the same solution also suffered complications, but stopped taking the mixture.
The pharmacy is located on the property of the Heilig Geist Hospital in Cologne but a spokeswoman for the latter said the pharmacy was independent.
dpa/NAN.
Trending
- Traditional ruler shot dead inside palace
- Primate Ayodele to Yoruba Nation agitators: You can’t break Nigeria
- Police intercept bags of Indian Hemp at Lagos jetty
- Enugu, families to give Ibu, Junior Pope befitting burial
- Police arrest suspects for attempting to disrupt inauguration of commissioners
- Police rescue three children locked up by grandmother + Photo
- Police foil attack in Katsina, neutralise suspected bandit
- US vetoes Palestine’s request for full UN membership