Newborn declared 'dead' found alive as family was preparing for last rites

A baby born in a government hospital in Maharashtra’s Beed on July 7 was declared ‘dead’ moments after birth as he did not cry, move, or respond to neonatal resuscitation. As the family was preparing for the burial of the child, which was over 24 hours after his birth, the baby showed signs of life.

Doctors at the hospital claim it is a case of ‘Lazarus syndrome' combined with ‘suspended animation'. The baby boy’s 31-year-old mother gave birth to him at the Swami Ramanand Teerth Rural Govt Medical College and Hospital. It was a premature delivery, and the baby’s weight was on the lower side, around 900 grams.

Dr Ganesh Tondage, the head of the obstetrics and gynaecology department, told news outlet Times of India, "We performed neonatal resuscitation, tactile stimulation, and bag and mask ventilation, along with administering necessary injections and other medical procedures. Despite these efforts, in the presence of two close relatives of the mother for over an hour, the baby showed no signs of life.”

The baby was placed in a warmer overnight, and the next morning was handed over to his uncle Dilip Rakh, who was travelling with his relatives nearly 20 km away from the hospital with his ‘dead’ nephew. And just as they were preparing for the burial, they heard a loud cry.

"My sister had delivered two premature babies in the past. Those babies had survived against all odds. We thought she was unlucky this time and were preparing for the last rites of the baby. The newborn was wrapped in a white cloth when we suddenly noticed movements, followed by a loud cry," said Rakh

A moment that turned the course of events, the family could not contain its joy. "We rushed back to the government hospital at Ambajogai with the baby. My sister, who was admitted there, could not hold back her tears upon seeing her third child alive and active," he recounted.

Dr Tondage said, "The Lazarus syndrome refers to a patient declared dead becoming alive spontaneously despite failed CPR and other measures. The suspended animation in premature babies indicates temporary suspension of vital body organs, including the heart, immediately after birth," he said, dismissing any notion of medical negligence by the medical team.

Dr Shankar Dhapate, the dean called it an extremely rare case of Lazarus syndrome combined with suspended animation. A five-member committee has been formed to investigate the incident as adviced by the hospital’s dean.