In a rare case, a pregnant woman with brain death has a birth in an ER and her family authorizes organ donation | Sergipe

A 20-year-old pregnant woman, who was diagnosed with brain death in April, gave birth on Wednesday night (8), in Aracaju. According to the Sergipe Health Department, this was the first case reported in the state. The feat is considered rare. In Brazil, there are five reports in the scientific literature. Her organs were also donated.

The woman was admitted to the Sergipe Emergency Hospital (Huse), on April 17, with a skull injury caused by a firearm. In less than a week, brain death was confirmed. As she was pregnant, doctors made efforts to keep the baby alive until it was able to stay out of its mother’s womb.

“When we noticed the pregnancy, we checked the fetal viability and made a joint effort by the entire team so that, in addition to maintaining the mother’s vital signs, we could maintain the pregnancy until the moment it was viable to deliver the baby. The patient arrived here at 22 weeks and left practically at 26, with just one day to go”, explained the coordinator of the unit’s critical axis, doctor José Edvaldo.

The birth was scheduled to take place this Thursday (9), but the patient showed changes in the ultrasound exams and the Huse medical team decided to bring forward the procedure. The birth took place at the Nossa Senhora de Lourdes Maternity Hospital, a reference in high-risk births.

The girl was born 26 weeks premature, by cesarean section and weighing 580 grams. Despite prematurity, there was no dysfunction.

“Every birth is an emotion, a renewal of life. The baby was born well, is stable and was taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The child was supported by the entire maternity team and we hope he remains healthy”, emphasized the pediatrician and neonatologist at MNSL, Flávia Batista.

The family authorized the donation of the patient’s organs. Kidneys, livers and corneas were collected and sent to the states of Pernambuco and Ceará.

“We made the organs available to the National Transplant Center and the liver was accepted for Pernambuco. So, the Brazilian Air Force provided an aircraft to take this liver to Recife. As for the kidneys, after preparing the logistics, it will be possible to send the left kidney to Ceará and the right kidney also to Pernambuco. The corneas will be transplanted right here in Aracaju”, informed the coordinator of the Sergipe Organ Transplant Center, Benito Fernandez.