An Alberta baby, born prematurely, has died in utero after contracting measles.Government officials announced the death on Thursday as the first associated with the province’s outbreak, which has grown to nearly 2,000 cases.Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Primary and Preventive Health Services, said in a statement that the baby died shortly after birth.“Since measles cases were first reported in Alberta this spring, I had hoped this moment would not come,” LaGrange said.“This is a heartbreaking loss, and no words can capture the pain of losing a child. My sincere condolences go to the family during this profoundly difficult time.”.Alberta now has more measles cases than the entire US.LaGrange did not provide details on the mother’s immunization status or any information about where in the province the patient resided.She added that children under five years old, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems face the highest risk from measles.“Measles during pregnancy can lead to serious complications, including miscarriage, preterm labor, stillbirth, and congenital infection,” she said.“Anyone planning a pregnancy should ensure they have received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine prior to conception, as vaccination during pregnancy is not recommended.”This is the second known death nationally linked to the countrywide outbreak of the highly contagious disease.The first death occurred in southwestern Ontario in June when a baby died after being born prematurely and infected with measles..Due to a high level of spam content being posted in our comment section below, all comments undergo manual approval by a staff member during regular business hours (Monday - Friday). Your patience is appreciated.
