Vijayawada: Premature Baby Declared Dead Found Alive During Handover

Vijayawada: A premature baby initially declared dead at KGH was found to be alive while being handed over to the family, prompting immediate medical intervention and a dramatic shift from grief to joy for the parents.

The incident occurred on Friday evening when a couple arrived at KGH after the mother's water broke. Due to the extreme prematurity of the pregnancy (25 weeks), doctors performed an emergency procedure. Initially, a heartbeat was detected, but the baby showed no further signs of life and was declared deceased.

However, just as the baby was being handed to the father, signs of life were detected. The father immediately alerted the medical staff, who quickly transferred the baby to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Dr. Sandhya, head of the Gynaecology department at KGH, explained, “At 25 weeks, this is technically considered an abortion rather than a delivery, as survival rates typically improve after 28 weeks.” She confirmed that while the initial assessment showed no signs of life, the baby was breathing when handed to the father.

The hospital atmosphere shifted from sorrow to celebration as the family gathered around the surviving infant, who is now being monitored in the NICU.