Cultic Studies Journal, Volume 17, 2000, Page 8
Diagnoses N Ages (Years Expected
Unless Specified) Outcome
Infections:
Diphtheria 3 3, 4, 9 Excellent
Laryngotracheobronchitis 1 18 mo Excellent
Measles (with complications) 7 1,5,9,9,13,14,16 Excellent
Meningitis, H influenzae 9 4 mo, 1(7),4 Excellent
Meningitis, S pneumoniae 4 2 mo,5 mo, 1,7 Excellent
Meningitis, bacterial,
nonspecified 1 1 Excellent
Meningitis, posttraumatic 1 15 Excellent
Pericarditis, S pneumoniae 1 1 Excellent
Pertussis 1 1 mo Excellent
Pneumonia (varying eticlogies) 22 1 mo to 2 yr Excellent
Pneumonia/myocarditis 1 1 Good
Rocky Mountain spotted fever 1 4 Excellent
Toxic shock syndrome, Staphyl. 1 17 Excellent
Abdominal surgical disorders:
Intussuception 3 8 mo, 9 mo, 14 Excellent
Appendicitis, ruptured 7 5 to 14 Excellent
Small bowel obstruction 1 6 Excellent
Strangulated hernia 1 6 Excellent
Volvulus 2 9 days, 26 mo Excellent
Congenital heart lesions:
Common atrioventricular canal 1 7 mo Good
Double outlet right ventricle 1 12 No benefit
Ventricular septal defect,
Pneumonia 2 9 mo, 10 mo Excellent
Tumors:
Ewing‘s sarcoma 1 13 Good
Leukemia, acute lymphocytic 3 4,5,7 Good
Leukemia, nonspecified 1 2 Fair
Lymphoma, Burkitt‘s 1 13 Good
Lymphoma, non-Hodgkins 1 3 Good
Neuroblastoma 1 1 Fair
Osteogenic sarcoma 3 6, 12, 14 Fair
Posterior fossa, nonspecified 1 2 Fair
Rhabdomyosarcoma 2 4 and 5 Fair
Wilms‘ tumor 1 2 Good
Total 113
Prenatal and Perinatal Fatalities
Table 3 lists the principal causes of 59 prenatal and perinatal deaths. All but 1 of the
newborns would have had a good to excellent expected outcome with medical care. The
mothers generally declined prenatal care and the deliveries were either unassisted or
attended by nonlicensed midwives. Two mothers had prior cesarean sections and had been
advised against home delivery. Siblings of 2 deceased newborns had previously received
court-ordered medical care for illness or injury. In one case, a relative of an infant with
respiratory difficulty called for medical assistance, but a church elder turned the responding
emergency crew away saying that with prayer the infant was breathing better. The infant

Cultic Studies Journal, Volume 17, 2000, Page 9
died within a few hours. One infant was asphyxiated because of intrapulmonary bleeding,
which might have been prevented with a routine vitamin K injection.
Pseudoscience was sometimes offered along with prayer. During 1 birth, a 3-day ordeal
that included difficult labor and maternal convulsions, the founding elder of the sect told the
mother her copious green vaginal discharge was ―a good thing,‖ a sign that she had
peritonitis and poisons were being expelled thanks to the prayers of the group. It is likely
that her discharge was meconium, a sign of fetal distress.
Deliveries attended by unlicensed midwives had tragic results. In one case, a 23-year-old
woman presented to an emergency room after 56 hours of active labor with the infant‘s
head at the vaginal opening for 16 hours. The dead fetus was delivered via emergency
cesarean, and was in an advanced state of decomposition. The mother died within hours
after delivery from sepsis because of the retained uterine contents. The medical examiner
noted that the corpse of the infant was so foul smelling that it was inconceivable anyone
attending the delivery could not have noticed.
Five additional mothers of perinatal infants died from complications of delivery. A few
mothers eventually were treated in emergency departments for vaginal lacerations and
retained placentas. In 2 cases, dead newborns had twin siblings who survived after being
taken to hospitals.