‘5-MONTH-OLD’ COMES BACKS TO LIFE’

Luz Milagros (Miracle's Light in Spanish) allowed a five-month-old premature infant to come back to life, who was unanimously announced as ‘stillborn' at the Safdarjung Hospital.

It was wrapped in a polythene bag and handed over to the family by the hospital authorities.

A 28-year-old woman, in her fifth month of pregnancy, was brought to the hospital after she started bleeding profusely.

She underwent an emergency operation on Sunday morning.

“The surgery was performed at around 5:45 am and thirty minutes later, the medical staff informed us that the baby was stillborn,” said Rohit, father of the baby.

“Around, 6:15 am, we were told that the baby was premature and stillborn and then they wrapped up the baby in cloth and polyethene and handed it over to us,” Rohit added.

The discovery was due to the parents' serendipitous decision to have a glimpse of their child before leaving to the cremation ground.

It was at this moment that they detected the movement of the baby.

“On unwrapping the packet, family members discovered that the baby was alive and moving its finger and legs,” said Rohit.

Immediately, the family rushed back to the emergency department of the Safdarjung Hospital. The baby was been admitted to the nursery and is being treated.

However, the family members have accused the doctors of medical negligence. Meanwhile, the medical authorities have said they will try to find out the reason behind the incident.

Dr Pratima Mittal, Head of the Department, Gynaecology and Obstetrics Department, Safdarjung Hospital said, “I will call it a second-trimester abortion as the woman was already five months pregnant and there is an international rule stating that there should be no attempt to revive a premature baby found dead and having a weight below 500 grams. The doctors followed the norm and did not attempt to revive it.”

As per doctors, during the second trimester of pregnancy, the fingers and toes of the baby are well defined and they can even suck their thumbs, yawn, stretch, and make faces as the nervous system starts to function at this point in pregnancy.

Mittal also added that an inquiry will be initiated to ascertain the reason behind the incident.