A newborn boy in China was pulled out of his mother’s womb while he was still in an intact amniotic sac, Fox News reported.
The baby was born through a cesarean section at the 36th week of pregnancy, was in a pre-pelvic position and had complications due to the entanglement of the umbilical cord, which made premature birth necessary.
Having a baby in an intact amniotic sac can be done intentionally, although this is still a rare occurrence. Dr. Pan Mian, of Fujian Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital in East China, said he decided to deliver the baby en caul because he was premature.
“We opted for this procedure because preterm babies are weaker than full-term babies,” he told Asia Wire. “As premature births are among the main reasons for infant mortality, an en caul birth allows the newborn to be delivered inside the same protective membrane. This reduces moisture loss on the skin, avoids rapid temperature loss after a preterm birth, and decreases the risk of the infant being harmed during a C-section.”
According to the doctor, the baby remained in the amniotic sac for another two minutes after birth, until the doctors opened the membrane and cleaned his lungs.