Premature baby dies after showing signs of life

A preemie pronounced dead in northern Israel showed signs of life Sunday evening shortly before burial. The baby, a girl, was born prematurely at 22 weeks.

The baby was immediately rushed to Haemek Medical Center in Afula, where it died several hours later, early Monday morning.

The baby's family, which resides in a village in the Afula area, discovered that the baby was alive as it was preparing to bury it. A Magen David Adom ambulance evacuated the baby to the Haemek Medical Center in Afula. The police have launched an investigation into the incident.

A Magen David Adom ambulance evacuated the baby to the Haemek Medical Center in Afula.

The baby was a twin born at a Nazareth hospital on Sunday. Both twins were pronounced dead by the hospital staff. In the evening hours, as the bodies were being washed, one of the babies began showing signs of life.

A doctor from the parent's village was alerted andcalled an ambulance after realizing that the baby had a pulse and was breathing.

"A breathing fetus with a heartbeat was evacuated in a serious and unstable condition to the Haemek Medical Center's premature babies ward," Elad Bachar, an MDA spokesman, told Ynet. The hospital reported that the baby was suffering from extreme hypothermia.

Hospital: Fetus born at 21 or 22 weeks

The father told the police that his wife had begun spotting earlier in the day and was hospitalized. She later began having contractions and gave birth to a boy and a girl, who were both pronounced dead.

According to the father, his wife remained at the hospital while he took his children's bodies home in order to bury them.

"The husband told us that while preparing them for burial he had noticed that the female fetus was moving, and called a doctor who alerted the MDA. After learning that she did have a pulse, the two fetuses were evacuated to the Haemek Medical Center," Chief Superintendent Yossi Sharvit told Ynet. The boy was pronounced dead, while his sister was rushed to the premature babies ward.

Doctors who examined the preemie estimated that it was born at an earlier week than originally believed. Hospital Direct-General Dr. Orna Blondheim told Ynet, "We estimate the preemie was born at 21 or 22 weeks, after very few pregnancy weeks. This can be determined both by the weight and by external signs.

"She is bellow what is defined as a 'vital fetus' and was born at weeks which we usually refer to as a miscarriage rather than as a birth. Nonetheless, she is receiving the proper treatment for such cases."

This is the second case within less than a year in which a preemie shows signs of life shortly after being declared dead.

Last August, a baby born in the Western Galilee Hospital in Nahariya and mistaken as dead had stunned the medical staff by spontaneously breathing hours later. However, it was only able to hang on to life for less than 24 hours.