Ninety-two days after a pregnant woman was declared brain dead, doctors at a Hungarian hospital have declared that the baby she was carrying has been delivered, reports The Telegraph.  At the age of 32, the mother had a catastrophic stroke.  At the time, she was 15 weeks pregnant.  Doctors worked for two days to save her life, but her vital functions, including circulation, failed.

However, the fetus remained “alive and kicking.”  As a result, the woman’s partner and parents were asked to decide whether to switch off the life-support systems, or keep them functioning in an attempt to save the fetus.  The family chose the latter option, hoping to save the baby.  The mother was fed with special nutrient-rich fluids while a battery of sensors monitored the status of the child.  In this manner, the medical team managed to keep the baby alive.  Then, the baby was delivered during the 27^th week through a caesarean section.  Though the baby was born premature, the child is healthy.

Currently, the child’s name and sex, as well as the identities of the family members, have been kept confidential to respect the wishes of the family.  After the birth of her child the mother’s life support systems were switched off, and her two kidneys, pancreas and heart were donated to other patients.  This case has been one of only three known cases in which the mother has needed life support at such an early stage in the pregnancy and the baby was still delivered alive.

Maternal brain death is a controversial issue.  The Journal of the American Medical Association delves into the issues in a 1988 case study of a 27-year-old pregnant woman maintained in a brain dead state for nine weeks.  The article considers the technical feasibility of delivering a healthy fetus in these circumstances, the monetary costs of maintaining life support for an extended period of time, and the ethical implications both with respect to the unborn child and the mother being left to die with dignity and without prolonged suffering.

The University of Miami Health System describes the guidelines for brain death, which is a clinical declaration of death without a full cessation of bodily functions.  Before declaring brain death, there should be an evaluation of the coma and its cause, examination of neurologic functions, and performance of an apnea test.  Common tests to confirm brain death include cerebral angiography, electroencephalography, transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, and cerebral scintigraphy.