Does the infant get free rides for life?
DUBAI 8 April 2019: A healthy baby was born just a bit too soon before the mother could arrive at the hospital.
A car horn was heard in front of the emergency room of Medcare Hospital Sharjah in the early hours of the morning. Nurses ran to the car to find a woman who had just delivered her baby on the back seat; both were in a good condition and the baby was crying, wrapped in a blanket on its mothers chest.
Doctors arrived at the scene to cut the umbilical cord and transfer the baby to the maternity ward where routine checks were carried out. Both mother and baby were said to be happy and healthy. Emergency deliveries such as this are very rare in the UAE, and this was the first reported successful delivery in a car at Medcare Hospital Sharjah.
Births that occur outside of the hospital setting or planned home births not attended by a healthcare professional are rare – but they do happen. These births are known as ‘born before arrival’ (BBA).
BBA = Born Before Arrival
While many women express concern about giving birth en route to the hospital, doctors emphasise the most important precaution is for pregnant women to be aware of the risk and be prepared for emergency situations to ensure the best outcome for their baby.
One study found that women who had a BBA birth were most likely to be having their second baby or expecting a girl. These BBA births occur more commonly in the birth of preterm babies and babies with lower birth weight. Potential influencing factors included distance to hospital and low maternal socioeconomic status.
Doctors typically recommend that women head to the hospital to deliver when their water breaks or when contractions become regular, meaning four or five minutes apart for more than an hour. But sometimes, neither of these signs of labour occur – it is important to keep calm in these emergency situations.
