A woman whose brain was non-functional has been kept alive artificially for over 2 months and gave birth to a baby girl last week, doctors at a hospital in Milan, Italy, reported.
A few hours after giving birth on June 11, the life-support machine keeping the 38-year-old woman alive was turned off. The baby girl, born two months premature, was able to breathe on her own.
The baby has been named Cristina after her mother and weighs just over 0.7 kg. The mother’s surname has been kept confidential to protect the family’s privacy. Doctors decided to deliver the baby after the mother’s blood pressure dropped and the fetus experienced heart rhythm irregularities.
The woman was admitted to the hospital in March after suffering a stroke. Shortly thereafter, doctors declared her brain dead. She remained in the hospital for 78 days to sustain the life of the fetus.
Her kidneys and corneas were retained for donation. The liver was transplanted to another patient at Niguarda Hospital.
M.T
