In 2012 a tiny baby girl was born at Perrando Hospital, in Chaco, Northwest Argentina. The parents of the 1 and 3/4 pound, premature baby Fabian Verando, and Analia Bouter, and they were told their baby was stillborn. She was checked twice by the gynecologist, and staff, and had no vitals, she was then declared to be dead. The baby was sent to the morgue’s refrigerator, and had been there in a coffin, covered in a cloth, for what has turned out to be a total of twelve hours.
Analia had given birth while under anesthetic, and had not seen her baby. Understandably, the grieving mum insisted on seeing her baby one last time. Fabian obliged her, and pried open the coffin in the morgue. When they uncovered her little face, and touched her hand, the baby seemed to awake and let out a cry. Her mum in shock and disbelief thought she was imagining things, until the morgue staff jumped into action rushing the baby up to emergency. The doctors and staff responsible have been suspended, and are being investigated. The hospital director Jose Luis Meirino had no explanation for what happened, and apparently that has never happened at his hospital before. Sadly at 14 months old the baby passed away suffering from numerous health issues.
This is however a reminder of the story of Kate Ogg, who was told by doctor’s one of her twins was born dead. Thankfully for her baby Kate knew about Kangaroo care, and started using it the minute she got hold of her baby. Kangaroo care saved her twin! As many as 82% of Neonatal Intensive care units in the USA use Kangaroo care. One has to question why Kangaroo care wasn’t used for this baby automatically, or for all babies born like these, there is nothing to lose, and everything to gain by it!
