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South Shore Hospital Investigates Deaths Of Two Mothers During Childbirth

WEYMOUTH (CBS) – For the second time in just over a month, a mother has died during childbirth at South Shore Hospital.

Christie Fazio died on December 14th while giving birth to a healthy son at the very same hospital where she worked as a nurse. Colleen Celia died last Wednesday, shortly after the birth of her fourth child, a healthy baby girl delivered by C-section.

In a statement, South Shore Hospital insisted their staffers were devastated, but "did everything possible."

Celia's family is awaiting autopsy results, but says a rare amniotic fluid embolism may be to blame for her death.

Over the past decade, Massachusetts has averaged five maternal deaths each year during pregnancy or delivery. The state has now been summoned to investigate. South Shore Hospital is already conducting an internal review but insisted "the two situations were unrelated, unanticipated, and unpreventable."

The families of both mothers who died at the hospital have praised the hospital's efforts as "wonderful" and "supportive." Colleen Celia's husband brought their newborn daughter home Monday, under far tougher circumstances than anyone could have imagined.

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