820-gram premature baby born mid-flight in China, unexpected but safe

Beijing: A premature baby girl, born weighing just 820 grams, is doing well in hospital thanks to the quick thinking of three healthcare professionals after her mother went into labor on board a flight recently.

The heart-warming story, published on the WeChat account of China's state broadcast China Media Group on Tuesday, has touched many netizens.

According to the report, Chen Shanshan, a neonatal nurse at a hospital in south China's Hainan Province, was on a flight from the provincial capital of Haikou to Beijing on Aug. 3.

When she heard an emergency call asking for medical assistance, Chen rushed to lend a hand, only to find the mother had already delivered a baby of 25-odd weeks, which was still enveloped in the embryolemma.

Chen decided to treat the baby immediately. Another two doctors aboard also came to assist.

Given that newborns cannot breathe in the embryolemma, the impromptu medical team had to respond quickly. When they freed the pale infant, she was not breathing and there was no pulse.

Chen responded by using CPR and nasal oxygen supply, and asked the crew members to fetch a hot water bottle and cabin bag to keep her warm.

"Premature babies must be kept warm. Even one degree of decrease in body temperature could lead to sepsis and the mortality rate would rise," Chen explained.

Thanks to their efforts, the newborn's heart rate returned to normal. The plane made an emergency stop at an airport in central China's Hunan Province, and Chen escorted the baby to a local hospital. She continued to do CPR for about an hour and a half, right up until the baby was admitted to the emergency room.

The newborn's father said his little girl has added 50 grams to her birth weight within half a month. He contacted Chen and expressed his gratitude via video. The airline also gave Chen a letter of thanks for her timely, effective and professional help.

The story has received about 12,000 likes on social media. In a comment left by Chen herself, she said she wanted to thank the two doctors and the crew members. "Without their assistance, I couldn't have finished this emergency task smoothly."

"Seeing such a warm story in the morning. It must be a nice day!" a netizen commented.