Curious question about pregnancy and death (sensitive topic)?

Question

what do they do if a pregnant woman dies. do they take out the unborn baby or do they just leave the baby in the stomach? how does that work?

this question is not meant to offend anyone.

Some of you have rude responses. Didn't I say this was a sensitive topic? if you are sensitive, maybe you shouldn't look at my question.

Someone said that the unborn baby can not survive for 2 minutes after the mom has passed because lack of oxygen.

Answer 1

Depends on when the women died. If she died like an hour or so before getting help or anyone found her, they usually leave the baby in there (since the baby would have died by then also. My aunt died in a car accident at about 8 months pregnant and they buried her still pregnant, but put the baby's name on the tombstone with hers. If a women dies at a hospital or with medical staff there, they will usually try to deliver the baby to save it. I know a 16 yr old girl in Madison, WI just died to medical staff error, and they saved her baby still. Hope that answers it!

Answer 2

Depends on how far along the pregnancy is… and assuming baby was not injured in the mother death… with today’s medical technology most babies can service out side the womb after 20 weeks… In which case the baby would be removed and admitted in to neonatal care…
prior to 20 weeks efforts are always made to save the baby… sometimes that means keeping the mom on life support until the baby can survive outside the womb..

Answer 3

If the baby is past a certain point (I believe currently that line is 25 weeks) then they remove the baby and hope for the best.

If it is before that they just leave the baby.

This is of course assuming that the woman dies in the hospital or gets there within minutes. Also I believe in some areas paramedics are allowed to preform c-sections if the mother is deceased.

Answer 4

It depends on how far along the baby is and whether the baby has survived whatever killed the mother. If there's signs of life in there, then they'll cut open the stomach and try to save the baby. It's been that way since Roman times (Julius Caesar was born that way, that's why they call it a Caesarean).

Answer 5

If a women is in the last trimester, a lot of doctors and grief counselers recommend delivery of the baby so that the family can see and grieve for the baby as well. Grief counselors say that it helps the family mourn when they can put a face to the unborn baby.
They also recommend a mother who has a stillborn hold and love her baby to help her through the grieving process.

Answer 6

they take the baby out and bury it separately. Or if the father wants the baby to stay with the mom, tough sh*t. They have to determine the death of the baby just like they do to the mom, they baby is buried in a different coffin and place. The mother and baby will be in heaven together though. If the child is old enough in the womb, but if it is a little little one what is the point?

Answer 7

A baby that is viable (able to survive outside of the womb) stays alive for 4-5 minutes after the mother is completely dead (lacking all bodily functions, not just, like, brain dead.) If it is at all possible, they will do everything they can to save the baby.

Answer 8

To the best of my knowledge the baby stays with (inside) the mother, what would be achieved by removing a dead fetus - unless she is very late in her pregnancy and the baby is alive and has a good chance of surviving. Then they would do a c-section and try and save 1 life.

Answer 9

If the baby can live outside the womb, they'd take it. No point in the family losing them both! I've also heard of doctors leaving a mother who is brain dead hooked up to machines until the baby is old enough to come out.

Answer 10

A baby can't survive without it's Mother's blood and oxygen supply via the umbilical cord. If she dies, the baby will have to be delivered via Cesarean to survive. You're right....this is a sensitive topic.