A family in Davao City has raised questions after their premature baby was declared dead at a hospital, showed signs of life after being brought home, and later died again.
The child, born prematurely at a private hospital in Calinan District, was transferred to the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC).
He was pronounced dead on August 23 and sent home to Barangay Gumalang, Baguio District.
According to relatives, the baby was placed in a box when released. But when the family opened it, they discovered the infant was still alive.
The child was rushed back to SPMC and placed in an incubator, but he died again on August 25 after two days of treatment.
One family member expressed frustration with how the baby was handled at the hospital.
“We’re not generalizing all doctors, nurses, or midwives, but we were disappointed with the one who assisted the baby at that time. They seemed to show no concern,” the relative said in the local dialect.
SPMC medical center chief Dr. Ricardo Audan offered two possible explanations for the rare occurrence.
He said the baby may have experienced a case of Lazarus syndrome, a phenomenon where circulation returns spontaneously after failed resuscitation efforts.
Another theory, he added, was that the box carrying the baby may have acted like an improvised incubator.
“It could be that the box served as a thermo regulator for temperature. During the bumpy travel, movement may have helped stimulate breathing,” Audan said.
He noted this was the first time such an incident had been reported at SPMC and assured that the hospital is open to meeting with the baby’s family.
Addressing complaints that the baby had not been properly cleaned when sent home, Audan explained that the fragile skin of preterm infants limits how much cleaning can be done.
“We actually cleaned the baby, but we could not remove everything because it might cause wounds,” he said.