Post date: Nov 14, 2013 6:52:43 PM
Doctors at a university in eastern Hungary have successfully delivered a baby from a woman diagnosed as brain dead and said her organs were then used to save the lives of four others.
DEBRECEN, HUNGARY (NOVEMBER 13, 2013) (REUTERS) - A team of doctors in eastern Hungary successfully delivered a premature baby from a woman who had been diagnosed as brain dead, doctors from the university hospital said on Wednesday (November 13).
Doctors said the baby was delivered on the 27th week of pregnancy through a Caesarean section operation earlier this year and was healthy. The baby weighed 1.4 kilograms.The 31-years-old mother had suffered a stroke while 15 weeks pregnant. Doctors kept the mother on life-support for 3 months.
Doctors at the Debrecen Medical Hospital said five of the mother's organs, including her heart, liver and kidneys, had then been used to save the lives of four other people who were in need of organ transplants.
"So far two cases are reported in the literature, those cases who survived from the 15th week of pregnancy in a brain-dead mother, which is very special in this case that those two cases didn't end up with transplantation. And here in this case, there were five organs transplanted after all. So we were among the three with the babies who survived and which is very special in this case is the five organ donations additionally, so it resulted in saving four other lives beside the baby," said the head of the intensive care unit at the hospital, Doctor Bela Fulesdi.
The mother's healthy condition lead doctors to approach her family with the idea of organ donation.
"While they were grieving for the mother, the family had to decide what to do next and they overcame their feelings and decided to help others too," Doctor Csilla Molnar told reporters on Wednesday.
Another doctor who was involved in the procedure, Endre Nagy, said the woman's body functions had to be maintained exactly as that of a normal pregnant woman while she was on life support.
"Often even after two weeks of donor conservation the organs get damaged. We had to maintain the body functions fully like those of a pregnant woman. After 2-3 weeks organs often become unsuitable for transplantation but here after 90 days all the organs were suitable for the recipients," said Doctor Nagy.
No further information was available about the child.
The university hospital released footage of the baby being delivered, while protecting the mother's identity.