New Delhi: A woman in coma for seven years at the AIIMS trauma center here gave birth to a healthy baby last Wednesday.
Shafiya, 23, was seven weeks pregnant at the time when she suffered serious head injuries from an accident. She was treated initially in UP’s Bulandshar, before being referred to AIIMS Delhi trauma centre.
Shafiya was transferred to AIIMS Delhi in April 1st and underwent four neurosurgical procedures.
An ultrasound scan was done at 18 weeks of pregnancy and confirmed that the baby was healthy.
She gave birth to her daughter by normal delivery on October 22.
However, the woman is still unconscious.
According to Dr Deepak Gupta a neurosurgeon, Shafiya has a 15-20% chance of regaining consciousness.
“A lot of discussion was held in her first and second trimester of pregnancy on whether we should terminate her pregnancy or continue the pregnancy as mother was still unconscious. As no congenital anomalies were noted in the fetus with serial level 2 ultrasound examinations, medical team suggested the option to continue pregnancy to family,” Dr Gupta was quoted as saying by India Today.
“The decision to terminate the pregnancy in view of the mother’s condition was left to the family. The family later decided to continue the pregnancy. It is extremely rare. I haven’t come across any such case in my 22 years of neurosurgical career at AIIMS,” he added.