Pre-term baby declared dead at Delhi hospital, found alive by kin pre-burial

The family said the doctors told them that the baby was still-born, and the body was wrapped in cloth, and placed in a cardboard box before being handed over for final rituals.

A newborn baby, who was delivered prematurely at the Delhi government-run Lok Nayak Hospital and declared dead by hospital authorities, was found to be alive while the family was preparing for her burial, officials and the baby’s family have said.

Lok Nayak medical director Dr Suresh Kumar said the newborn was an “aborted foetus”, which means that the mother could not carry the pregnancy to over 24 weeks due to medical complications. (HT Archive)

Mohammad Salman, the baby’s uncle, said that on Sunday, his six-month pregnant sister-in-law Ruksar complained of severe pain in her stomach and was rushed to Lok Nayak hospital, where she was admitted and taken in for surgery.

“Around 6pm yesterday (Sunday), I received a call from my brother (Abdul Mullick), saying that the baby could not be saved. He asked me to inform the rest of the family and make arrangements for her burial,” said Salman.

He said the doctors told the family that the baby was still-born, and the body was wrapped in cloth, and placed in a cardboard box before being handed over for final rituals.

The family said that around 9pm, when they were preparing for the baby’s burial, they heard cries from the box and after opening it, they found the baby was moving her arms and legs.

“When my brother brought the baby home, she was in a sealed cardboard box. My mother started hearing some sounds from the box and when she opened it, she found the baby alive. She was moving her arms. We immediately rushed her back to the hospital,” Salman said.

Lok Nayak medical director Dr Suresh Kumar said the newborn was an “aborted foetus”, which means that the mother could not carry the pregnancy to over 24 weeks due to medical complications.

“The baby was born at 23 weeks and weighs under 400g,” he said.

“In such premature babies, signs of life are not often immediately seen after birth. The baby did not display any signs of life after birth but a few hours later, when the family saw her moving. She was brought back to the hospital and she was admitted to critical care.”

Kumar said that while the survival chances of premature babies weighing under 500g are slim, a team of doctors at Lok Nayak is closely monitoring the baby’s condition.

There is no substantive data from India, but studies from the US indicate that around one in three such babies survive if put on active treatment.

Meanwhile, the newborn’s family alleged that the hospital initially did not admit the baby, and that after she was admitted, they have not been allowed to see her.

The hospital did not respond to the first allegation, but speaking about not allowing the family to visit the baby, authorities said she has been admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of the hospital, and because she was born several weeks before the pregnancy carried to term, she requires extra care to ensure that she survives.

“The child is under neonatal care and there is a risk of infection if she is exposed to outside conditions. The child is only of 23 weeks, which means her organs have not developed fully, which puts her at a greater risk of infection. Our team is observing her,” a treating doctor said.

Dr Rakesh Bagdi, paediatrician and former president of the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), said, “There are cases where babies survive despite being born after a pregnancy of 22 weeks, and in India, we are developing technology to improve the survival rate of such babies. However, in many cases, when these children grow up, they are more vulnerable to diseases, but with proper care they can lead a healthy life.”