Passenger gives birth on Cathay Pacific flight

What could have easily turned into a major medical emergency ultimately ended well, after a 29 year old passenger travelling from India to Adelaide (Australia) gave birth to a boy aboard a Cathay Pacific flight. According to media reports, the young woman had made a connection in Hong Kong in order to fly onward to Adelaide. She went into labour shortly after the plane took off. A doctor from Adelaide, who fortunately happened to be onboard the plane, assisted with the delivery of the child, along with the help of three other medical professionals, all from different medical fields. Both the baby and his mother were said to be in good condition after Australian hospital officials checked both of them out following landing.

The Australian online news magazine reported that the woman began to feel ill while on the flight and at this point she walked over to the lavatory. She was already 34 weeks into her pregnancy at the time of her trip. A Cathay spokesperson pointed out that it amounted to a great deal of good fortune that several doctors happened to be aboard the flight. The carrier did, however, make an emergency landing at the Darwin Airport, in order to ensure that the young mother and her newborn received appropriate medical attention. The only technical problem with a birth that takes place aboard an airplane is that it becomes impossible to determine where a child was born. Due to the risks involved in such pregnancies, many carriers will not permit pregnant women to fly during the final weeks or days of her pregnancy.

www.cathaypacific.com