Newborn baby declared dead by doctors found to be alive at funeral

Theni: A newborn baby declared dead by doctors at Theni Government Medical College Hospital was later found to be alive. The family took the baby for burial two hours later and found the child to be breathing. The hospital had packed the child in a bucket for cremation.

A relative of the baby told the TNM that the mother was only six months into her pregnancy when her water broke. The doctors did a caesarean section and declared the baby dead. "We didn't have the heart to see the baby so we took the baby to the crematorium. We said our prayers and picked up the baby for burial but we found the infant alive," he added.

The family rushed the baby to the same hospital for treatment and is currently receiving treatment, reported The News Minute. The newborn was not breathing when the mother saw it after the surgery.

When the relatives returned to the hospital seeking medical attention and saying that the child was moving, the doctors found that there was a heartbeat. The hospital put the baby on oxygen support as the child has trouble breathing. The neonatal doctors have been diagnosed with Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and improper breathing patterns.

Theni Government Medical College Hospital Dean Balajinathan said that the baby weighed only 700 grams. "The doctors were attending to the mother and handed over the baby to relatives. We received consent from the parents".

The hospital has ordered an inquiry into what happened when the child was declared. Doctors and nurses will be interrogated, said the TNM report.