Doctors accidentally tore a baby’s body from its head after it became stuck during birth, it was reported today.
The horrific incident occurred as medics struggled to deliver a premature child at a hospital in Tartagal, northwestern Argentina.
The baby boy’s head remained inside the mother and was later delivered naturally, along with the placenta, according to reports.
Yesterday, mother Reina Natalia Valazquez and her husband released details of the tragedy after filing a claim of gross negligence against the hospital.
The horrific incident occurred as medics struggled to deliver a premature child at a hospital in Tartagal, northwestern Argentina. Pictured: The baby’s remains, which were taken home by the devastated parents in a box
Yesterday, mother Reina Natalia Valazquez (pictured) and her husband released details of the tragedy after filing a claim of gross negligence against the hospital
Ms Valazquez said her husband (pictured) had gone out to buy nappies and when he returned he found one of the medics holding his baby boy’s headless body
Ms Valazquez, 30, from Buenos Aires, was 22 weeks’ pregnant when she went into early labour last Monday as she spent Christmas at her family’s home in Salvador Mazza.
She was taken by ambulance to the Juan Domingo Peron hospital where a medical team decided that, as the baby was so small, he could be delivered naturally.
But after the baby’s body came out first, his head became stuck in the cervix, according to the hospital.
Ms Valazquez said her husband had gone out to buy nappies and when he returned he found one of the medics holding his baby boy’s headless body.
In the claim, she said: ‘At the moment of delivery we don’t know if it was a doctor or a midwife who pulled the baby so that its head separated from the body.’
Jose Fernandez, the hospital’s director, told the InformateSalta website that medics had decided against a caesarean because Ms Valazquez was already dilated to 11cm.
He said: ‘The baby was still in a breech position, so the body came out first. When it got to the head, there was a spasm of the cervix which compressed the boy’s neck.
‘The obstetrician called another doctor who tried to free it with a manoeuvre, there was a tear and a detachment was produced, decapitating it and leaving the head inside.’
He said doctors had planned to perform a caesarean to remove the head but that before the procedure could start the woman ejected it naturally, along with the baby’s placenta.
The baby was later delivered in a white box to the devastated couple, who reportedly took a taxi with their baby’s remains back to their family’s home.
Jose Fernandez, the hospital’s director, told the InformateSalta website that medics had decided against a caesarean because Ms Valazquez was already dilated to 11cm’. Pictured: Juan Domingo Peron in Tartagal
Argentina’s prosecution service today confirmed that an investigation had been launched into the baby’s death.
An autopsy is being carried out on the baby, which weighed 700 grammes, to find out the cause of death, according to a statement.
The hospital’s director Jose Fernandez said they would cooperate with the investigation, but that until negligence is proved the medics involved continue to work normally.
He said: ‘We have provided details of the incidicent and informed the names of the doctors and obstetrician who took part. Officially there is nothing yet that proves that the baby’s death was caused by the decapitation.
‘There is no reason for them to be suspended. If there was malpractice or not, this is for the judge to decide.’