Baby born to brain-dead mother in Portugal

A healthy baby was born in Portugal on Tuesday to a mother who had been brain-dead for nearly four months.

"The baby boy, weighing 2.35 kilos (five pounds three ounces), was born after 32 weeks without complications and by Cesarean section," announced the Lisbon hospital that carried out the procedure.

The mother had been declared brain-dead on February 20 after suffering a brain haemorrhage, the hospital said.

"The foetus appeared to be in good health," it added, so "the decision was taken with the family to follow through with the pregnancy."

The hospital said the successful birth represented Portugal's longest-ever survival of a foetus whose mother was brain-dead.

A similar case in Poland saw a born to a brain-dead mother in April.

© 2016 AFP

Citation: Baby born to brain-dead mother in Portugal (2016, June 7) retrieved 30 April 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-06-baby-born-brain-dead-mother-portugal.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

Brain-dead woman gives birth in Poland

2 shares

Feedback to editors