THE death of mum-to-be who collapsed at her grandparents’ house in Dalmellington was preventable they have claimed.

Surgeons battled in vain to save the life of 22-year-old Victoria Ramage and her unborn child after she fell ill, in March this year.

A blood clot had formed in her lung and despite the best efforts of medical staff Victoria, who was 26 weeks pregnant with son Abel, passed away.

Her loved ones say a simple blood test, called a D-dimer, might have detected the clot and are now asking for all expectant women to have the test carried out routinely.

D-dimer identifies segments of blood clots that have broken up and are in the bloodstream of the potential victim.

Victoria’s grandparents, Alex and Annie, regularly make the heart-breaking journey to Dalmellington Cemetery where Victoria is buried beside Abel.

Mr Knox said that, while the test is not definitive, it can indicate the level of risk and should be available to all pregnant women.

Meanwhile MSP Jeane Freeman, who represents Dalmellington at Holyrood has raised the matter with leading officials.

She said: “I’m in discussions with the Scottish Government on how awareness can be raised and whether there is value in screening blood tests for pregnant women.

“The discussions will make sure the risk assessments are as good as they can be and take account of situations like Victoria’s that can’t necessarily be accurately assessed because you don’t know what the family history is or there is no family history.”

There is hope that the situation will change and tests will become routine, according to a Scottish Government spokesman.

He said: “This is clearly a distressing case and our sympathies and condolences are with Victoria’s family.

“The UK National Screening Council reviewed thrombophilia in 2010 and recommended that testing should be offered during early pregnancy on the basis of clinical risk factors.

“Later this year, they will be reviewing this guidance in relation to pregnant women and we await the outcome.”

An NHS online source defines thrombophilia as ‘not a condition or a disorder itself’, which happens when the blood has an increased tendency to form clots.

People with thrombophilia are particularly at risk of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Symptoms of this include pain, swelling and tenderness in one leg, warm skin in the area of the clot and skin redness.

Anyone with concerns should visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/thrombophilia for info.