New Vision (Kampala)
Daniel Edyegu
25 June 2009
Kampala — A 75-year-old Sironko woman with a swollen stomach is not pregnant, a doctor has said.
Dr. Peter Nabende, the Sironko district health officer, said a scan indicated that Rose Mary Wobuyaga from Bumasifwa sub-county suffers from partial intestinal obstruction, a medical disorder common among the elderly.
"It's a condition where intestines elongate and twist, thereby blocking the normal flow of air. As a result, the intestines balloon and distend the stomach.
"The movement of the intestines due to the accumulation of air makes it look like a baby's kick," Nabende explained.
Wobuyaga, a herbalist from Bumasoba parish, hit media spotlight when she claimed she was six months pregnant after having had sex with 25-year-old Michael Siduda, a fellow herbalist.
She claimed to experience prenatal symptoms like morning sickness, headache and even the kicks of a baby.
A traditional birth attendant in the same area also said Wobuyaga was pregnant.
Wobuyaga has received donations in cash and kind from various people as she "prepared for the birth of her first baby".
If her wish materialised, she would have featured in the world book of records as the oldest pregnant woman in the world, taking the record from 71-year-old Omkari Panwar of India, who in 2008 gave birth to twins after getting fertility treatment.
Nabende observed that medical workers at the district health units could not come up with a conclusive diagnosis due to the absence of scanning facilities.
He said Wobuyaga's condition was still in early stages and could be corrected through surgery.
Wobuyaga describes her condition as the most difficult period of her life.
"I tried to conceal it (pregnancy) in January but the tummy kept bulging and soon attracted the attention of my neighbours," Wobuyaga said.
"Some sympathised, while others laughed at me."
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