Footage has emerged of a baby being born via C-section with its amniotic sac still intact. Doctors at Fujian Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital in East China said they decided to deliver the baby en caul because it was 36 weeks premature, Fox News reported.
The video shows the moment the baby boy was pulled from his mother's womb while still inside the amniotic sac. Because of his breach position, and with an umbilical cord complication, doctors were forced to perform the emergency C-section.
“We opted for this procedure because preterm babies are weaker than full-term babies,” Dr Pan Mian told Asia Wire.
“As premature births are among the main reasons for infant mortality, an en caul birth allows the newborn to be delivered inside the same protective membrane. This reduces moisture loss on the skin, avoids rapid temperature loss after a preterm birth, and decreases the risk of the infant being harmed during a C-section.”
The little tot has now been dubbed "bubble boy" after he was delivered weighing in at 2.5kg. But the birth didn't go according to plan as the baby didn't breathe on his own for further two minutes until medics cut the baby out of his protective sac, the Daily Mail reported.
"Newborns usually cry shortly after being born as their respiratory system is introduced to the new surroundings," explained Dr Pan.
"But when this boy was born, still in his amniotic sac, it was as if he were still in his mother's womb.
"It was not until doctors opened the membrane and cleared the amniotic fluid from his respiratory system that he began to cry - a full two minutes later than normal babies."