When a mother ‘can’t cope’: The tragedies in death of Bengaluru twin babies

The trial of Lindsay Clancy, the mother accused of killing her three small children in Massachusetts, US, has caught world attention as “America’s saddest murder trial”, and prompted a debate on the mental condition her lawyers say she was suffering from – postpartum psychosis.

It’s not a condition that Ramelingappa S H, 50, a real estate dealer based in Talaghattapura in Bengaluru, had heard of. But, he says, he could see his wife Umadevi, 40, was “struggling”. The symptoms had lasted at least two-and-a-half months, beginning six weeks after Umadevi delivered their twin daughters.

Their birth, on May 5, came after a long wait for the couple and one round of failed IVF. On September 1, Umadevi allegedly drowned the four-month-olds, and was stopped on time as she was trying to kill herself. Ramelingappa says that while Umadevi appeared to be coping after the birth of the twins, changes in her behaviour were evident after a while.

She began sleeping and eating poorly, became withdrawn and repeatedly told her husband and mother-in-law that she was “frightened” of the babies and did not feel capable of caring for them. At times, she said she wanted to send the children to an ashram or go there herself, he says.

Geetha Desai, Professor of Psychiatry at NIMHANS and professor in-charge of its Mother-Baby Unit, says these are symptoms typical of postpartum mental illness. “Women with postpartum depression may experience persistent sadness, anxiety, exhaustion, loss of appetite and difficulty sleeping.

Some may also develop a deep sense of inadequacy and feel that they are not capable of caring for their baby,” Desai adds. Umadevi, who had come to NIMHANS earlier too for treatment, is back at the institute after the death of the twins.

While the Bengaluru Police has registered a case in connection with the deaths and Umadevi’s attempt to take her own life, she is under psychiatric care and her medical condition is being assessed before further course is decided.

Sources familiar with Umadevi’s case say the tragedy could have been prevented had she got medical help on time. Ramelingappa says they tried, as best as they knew. He and his mother took over the bulk of the care of the twins as Umadevi battled symptoms, and consulted a psychiatrist in Bengaluru.

Umadevi met the psychiatrist, but there was no improvement. So, on August 8, the family took her to NIMHANS. Ramelingappa says the 40-year-old was assessed for postpartum depression, prescribed medication, and advised inpatient psychiatric treatment.

But Umadevi refused admission. “She had seen patients being physically restrained and was afraid the same would happen to her. Her condition also kept fluctuating. On some days she appeared normal, while on other days she was withdrawn, anxious and struggled to eat or sleep,” Ramelingappa says, describing the ups and downs which also lie at the heart of the Clancy case.

The family and ex-husband of Clancy – who is paralysed from waist down after throwing herself out of a window after allegedly killing her children – have sued her doctors for “medical malpractice”, saying they missed the extent of her troubles.

The day of the incident, Ramelingappa was at home till about 12.20 pm, when he had to step out for some work and to make arrangements for a religious ceremony the family was planning in their native village in Andhra Pradesh, to mark the twins’ birth.

The ceremony is usually held when a baby enters the third month, but the family had postponed it as Umadevi was not keeping well. Ramelingappa’s mother, two sisters and Umadevi’s mother were at home with her and the twins.

In his complaint at the Talaghattapura Police Station, Ramelingappa said that when he returned around 2.50 pm, the family told him Umadevi had locked herself into a room with the twins, covering the window with a cloth. Ramelingappa told police that he forced open the door with the help of a friend, and found Umadevi near the window grille with a dupatta around her neck.

The family rushed to untie it and found her struggling to breathe. The twins were discovered in their cradle, unresponsive. They were taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared them dead of suspected drowning.