In Brno, Czech Republic, doctors ensured the birth of a child 117 days after the death of her mother's brain. In April, the 27-year-old pregnant woman was taken to hospital by helicopter with a severe stroke, Reuters reported. Her chances of survival were negligible, and her 15-week-old fetus was even less. However, after the mother's brain died, doctors still decided to try to save the child. “We had to completely control the process of maintaining the vital functions of a woman - ventilation of the lungs, blood circulation, the internal environment of the body, endocrinology, to ensure feeding,” said Iveta Zimova, chief anesthesiologist of the intensive care unit of the Brno University Hospital.
In turn, the head of the department of obstetrics and gynecology of the clinic, Pavel Ventruba, noted that the further development of pregnancy showed that the fetus feels good and is physically developing. We have not seen any problems with this process. We decided to wait for the critical period of 28 weeks or even better 32-43 weeks, when the fetal respiratory system is already well formed, and the baby will be able to breathe on its own after birth, he said. To ensure the normal development of the fetus, doctors gave the woman a massage and moved her legs to imitate walking, while the future grandmother came every day to read fairy tales to her unborn child.
“It was a truly outstanding event. The whole family stood shoulder to shoulder. They behaved superbly. Without their support and interest in the process, we would not have achieved such a result. They delved into everything and, I think, will also take care of the child. Not only my father, but also my grandmother and aunt,”said Ventruba. All relatives were present during the operation in mid-August. Doctors performed a cesarean section and a completely healthy girl was born, weighing a little over two kilograms and a height of 42 cm. After that, the mother was disconnected from life support systems.