General Hospital spoilers say that even though Maxie’s (Kirsten Storms) baby is safe from Huntington’s disease, it doesn’t mean the child is out of the woods completely! In a tweet posted March 16 from Frank Valentini, he retweeted from Kirsten herself that “Maxie’s baby’s life hangs in the balance!”
Previously it had been predicted that when Maxie finds out Peter August (Wes Ramsey) is actually Heinrik Faison, it could be enough of a shock to put her into preterm labor! In soap operas, pregnancies as well as children are frequently SORASed (Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome) so we cannot tell with certainty exactly how far along she is, although in the storyline she has begun birthing classes.
In real life, most expectant mothers start taking them around the seventh month. So, should the baby come a little early, between seven and a half to eight and a half months, it is usually not too much of a danger to either mother or child. However, if Maxie is less than seven months along, and the baby should come that early, there can be a real danger because the baby’s internal organs and especially the lungs may not be fully developed.
Even if baby West does not arrive early, there unfortunately are several things that could go wrong during the birth. He or she could have the umbilical cord wrapped around the neck, which if not remedied immediately could choke the baby, causing a danger of brain damage because of lack of oxygen. The baby could be a breech birth (bottom down) and there could be bruising or other accidental trauma.
Long time GH viewers will remember one of the saddest episodes ever to be shown in the history of General Hospital, in May 1994. As a tiny tot herself, Mama Maxie had Kawasaki disease, an illness that causes inflammation in the arteries, veins and capillaries.
In her case, it was so damaging that she had to have a heart transplant at a very young age, in this case from her young cousin BJ (Brighton Hertford). Although Kawasaki disease is not widely considered a genetic disease as Huntington’s disease can be, a predisposition does appear to be passed down through families.
Even though there was much concern about Huntington’s disease and having Maxie’s amniotic fluid tested for it, there has been no mention of the malady young Maxie herself had. Let’s hope Felicia (Kristina Wagner) thinks to suggest the baby be tested for Kawaksaki’s disease as well! So, what will cause Maxie’s baby’s life to hang in the balance? Keep watching GH and reading General Hospital spoilers to find out!
