Childbirth Choices Debate

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009/10/16/Comatose-mother-gives-birth-in-Russia/UPI-77891255741373/

Published: Oct. 16, 2009 at 9:02 PM

DOMODEDOVO, Russia, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- A Russian woman who has been in a coma for seven months gave birth to a healthy baby girl in Domodedovo, a Moscow-area obstetrician said Friday.

Alexander Gridchik said the baby was more healthy
than doctors expected when she was delivered by Cesarean section, RIA Novosti reported.

The woman was in a car accident when she was 10 weeks pregnant. The baby was delivered at 38 weeks.

Doctors broke protocol and did not abort the fetus because the mother was in stable condition despite her vegetative state, RT Arabic reported.

They performed the Cesarean at a clinic in Domodedovo, near Moscow, with consultations from specialists from the Moscow Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The baby was taken to the regional Perinatal Center. She still needs medical attention but has a good prognosis, doctors said.

Relatives of the comatose woman said they would care for the child.

Interesting.  It raises a few questions in my mind.

Why did they take the baby at 38 weeks instead of waiting longer (since they had waited 7 months already)?

Why is the protocol to abort the fetus of a comatose woman?

Where is the father of the baby in all of this (no mention of him at all)?

Maybe so she wouldn't go into labor? I'm thinking the nurses don't want to walk in to find a baby wiggling around under her blankets....

I agree, though, that you'd think they could monitor contractions etc. But I'm thinking they just figure it's easier to get the baby when it hits the 'magic number' so none of those things that go with a pesky natural labor start to occur.