A Colombian baby girl has been discovered alive after spending over 10 hours at the morgue.
The mother, Jenny Hurtado, was rushed to an area hospital at just 27-weeks pregnant early Wednesday morning. A C-section was performed by medics but being unable to identify signs of life, they pronounced the newborn deceased just over 30 minutes after birth. The baby was then taken to the morgue in a box where staff waited for her fisherman father to collect her.
When the father arrived and the attendant handed the newborn to him, signs of life were recognized as a soft cry was heard. Having realized that the infant was indeed alive, they rushed her onto an airplane for transport to a qualified clinic.
The infant, who is now being called Milagros (meaning – miracles), remains at that location with her aunt and is said to be receiving treatment in intensive care for underdeveloped lungs. The mother remains in her hometown where she is recovering.
A specialist doctor, Javier Zagarra, stated that the mistaken death declaration could have been due to a soft heartbeat. “In some cases the heart movements are not perceptible even though the newborn is alive, they can declare it dead. When they wrap the baby in a sheet, upon receiving warmth, the baby can then revitalize,” he told Semana.
