Newborn declared dead at Delhi hospital, found alive just before burial; continues to be critical

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

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

"About 6:00 pm on Sunday, my brother (Abdul Mullick) called to inform me that the baby could not be saved. He asked me to inform the rest of the family and make arrangements for her funeral," Salman said.

He claimed that the doctors informed the family that the baby had passed away and that the body was wrapped in cloth and placed in a cardboard box before being handed over for final rituals. The family said that around 9:00 pm while preparing for the baby's burial, they heard cries from the box and found that the baby was moving her arms and legs after opening the box. 

"My brother brought the baby home in a sealed cardboard box. My mother began to hear sounds from the box, and when she opened it, she found the baby alive. Her arms were moving. We rushed her to the hospital right away," said Salman.

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

"The baby was born at 23 weeks and weighed less than 400g," he explained. "In such premature babies, life signs are frequently not visible right away. The baby showed no signs of life after birth until a few hours later when the family noticed her moving. She was taken back to the hospital and admitted in critical care."

While premature babies weighing less than 500g have a slim chance of survival, a team of doctors at Lok Nayak closely monitors the baby's condition, said Kumar.

There is no solid data from India, but studies from the United States show that one in every three such babies survives if given active treatment. Meanwhile, the newborn's family claimed that the hospital initially refused to admit the baby and that they were not allowed to see her once admitted.

The hospital did not respond to the first allegation, but in regards to not allowing the family to visit the baby, officials said that she had been admitted to the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and as she was born several weeks before the pregnancy was carried to term, she requires extra care to ensure her survival.

"The baby is under neonatal care, and there is a risk of infection if exposed to the outside environment. As the child is only 23 weeks old, her organs have not fully developed, putting her at a higher risk of infection. Our team is keeping an eye on her," the doctor treating the newborn said. 

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