Wild 29-Weeker Story

Published Aug 30, 2017

1,591 Posts

Just came across this story about a 29-week precipitous vag delivery in the car, born en caul (sac intact). Social media is freaking out about the 'en caul in the car' thing, but I'm more freaking out about the '29-weeker in the car' aspect. Apparently they kept the infant encased in the sac, continuing to use fetal/placental circulation, for the remainder of the 7 minute drive to the hospital!

Mom Shares Incredible Photo From Preemie's En Caul Birth In Car | HuffPost

I've seen 28-week accidental home births stablized by EMS, and I've seen term kids born in the hospital parking lot, but I think I'd be pretty freaked out trying to stablize a 7-minute-old 29-weeker in the parking lot. I'd be curious to know how they actually supported him during the transport from car to hospital (RAM cannula vs. NeoPuff PPV vs. bag/mask PPV vs. intubated, in transport isolette vs. held in warm blankets, etc.)

They're incredibly lucky that she didn't start to deliver the placenta en route (especially as a precipitous delivery), since that was his only source of ventilation. I'm wondering if the intact sac saved his life; if his sac had ruptured and he'd taken his first breath he might have started to transition from fetal to neonatal circulation, which I'm guessing would have ended poorly without the people and supplies present to perform NRP.

Anyway, mom and baby both seem to be doing amazingly well. Baby Ean had a course of CPAP, and is now on a cannula. He's totally adorable, and appears to be rocking preemie-hood. To be honest, the en caul photo is pretty awesome.