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by Tondoteottotote on July 3rd, 2005

Tondoteottotote

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If a woman dies while her pregnancy is already in progress, can a baby survive to term, does it die along with her, or can the baby get saved by getting born immediately after death?

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Answers. 3 helpful answers below.

  • by Grandma Roses - my avatar is my real dog on November 10th, 2005

    Grandma Roses - my avatar is my real dog

    Okay, this doesn't exactly answer the question as asked but .....

    There have been documented cases of pregnant women being brain-dead or in a coma and being kept on life support until their child was born, either vaginally or by Caesarean section. Just do a Google search using keywords 'mother dead baby born'.
    http://www.uchc.edu/ocomm/features/stories/stories05/feature_giftsoflife.html

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  • by lynnenorth on January 6th, 2006

    lynnenorth

    It also depends on how far along the pregnancy is. A pregnancy in the first trimester has pretty much no chance, and I don't think many places would attempt to keep the woman on life support long enough for the pregnancy to mature. 2nd trimester, the woman would have to be kept on life support; the baby would not survive outside the womb. 3rd trimester the same, up until a minimum gestational age of 25-26 weeks; before that, the baby's chances are poor, and even 25 weeks is considered very early and has a lot of attendant risk. Every week increases the baby's chance of survival at birth, at that point.

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  • by DaddysGLB on November 1st, 2009

    DaddysGLB

    It really does depend on how far along the woman is, and if it's possible to sustain her life on life support, until the fetus is viable.
    For example, if the baby is 22-23 weeks, technically, it is possible for it to live outside the womb, but has a low survival rate.
    If the mom were brain dead, but physically could sustain life, it's possible to keep her alive until the baby is born. This would mean machines breathing for her, making sure her vitals were stable, liquids/vitamins/etc to keep the baby healthy inside, and then delivering the baby when it's time.

    Here is a story of a woman who was kept on life support after a heart attack left her heart & brain damaged and comatose. She was kept on for the last 22wks of her pregnancy.
    http://www.smh.com.au/world/science/extraordinary-comatose-woman-gives-birth-20091015-gxp5.html

    Another who was in a car accident while pregnant, gave birth while in a coma, and is still comatose:
    http://en.rian.ru/strange/20091016/156492463.html


    good luck

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