Hanoi woman almost dies as husband delays childbirth until new year

The labor pangs had begun on the afternoon of the 20th for the 32-year-old. She was 39 weeks pregnant.

But her husband believed it was not a “good time” since it would not be easy to raise a child born at the end of a lunar year.

So he decided she would wait for a particular time to deliver and kept her at home.

It was not until the early hours of Lunar New Year’s Day that he took her to the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Hanoi.

Dr Phan Chi Thanh at the hospital said when the woman was admitted both her and her child’s lives were in danger, she had a high fever, infection, abnormally high heart rate, and shallow amniotic fluid.

The hospital performed a caesarean section immediately to save the baby, who was born with arrhythmia, rapid breathing and neonatal infection.

The mother had to be treated with powerful antibiotics and placed in intensive care.

But on Friday Thanh said both mother and child were in stable condition.

The hospital identified neither person.

Oddly enough, the hospital also received a pregnant woman who refused to deliver on the first day of the new lunar year because she believed the day was too sacred.

It took doctors a lot of time and effort to convince her, but they managed to save both mother and child.