Thiruvananthapuram: A 36-year-old mother and her newborn sadly died during childbirth in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram, on Tuesday, February 20, as her husband persuaded her to have a home birth watching videos on YouTube and with the aid of acupuncture. The woman, Sameera Beevi from Karakkamandapam in Nemom. Her husband Nayas has been taken into police custody by the Nemom police and further probe is underway.
According to sources, the couple has three children, the last of which was born a year ago. Sameera is the second wife of Nayas. Nayas’ first wife and her daughter, who is studying acupuncture, supported Sameera as she went into labour at around 3 pm on February 20, However, around 5.30 pm, Sameera started to haemorrhage excessively and fainted. She was brought to a private hospital by ambulance. The doctors in the hospital examined her and proclaimed her dead, the News Minute reported.
Nayas and Sameera were asked to see a doctor in January by a number of people, including neighbours, ASHA workers, a ward councillor, and police. Nayas reportedly refused outright, insisting that they would deliver the baby at home by watching YouTube videos.
Similar incidents have been reported in the nearby district of Tamil Nadu. In October 2022, a 27-year-old lady in Krishnagiri died while the pair tried a home birth using YouTube tutorial videos. The woman died, but the infant lived. In 2018, a 28-year-old lady in Tiruppur died after allegedly attempting to deliver a baby at her home after watching homebirth videos on YouTube.