Revived Newborn: Infant declared deceased, miraculously revives, subsequently passes away days later.

Heartbreaking Incident at Davao City Hospital

A heartbreaking incident has unfolded at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City, where a preterm baby was declared dead upon arrival but showed signs of life hours later. The family and the community are now grieving the loss of the baby, who passed away two days later on August 25.

The infant, born prematurely on August 23, was found to be still breathing when the family opened the unsealed cardboard box that contained his body at home. The preterm baby weighed 800 grams and had a faint heartbeat, making the fight for life an uphill battle. The family immediately returned the infant to SPMC, where he was placed in an incubator.

This was the first such incident at SPMC where a preterm baby showed signs of life after being declared dead upon arrival. Doctors at the hospital attempted to revive the infant but were unsuccessful. The incident occurred at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City.

SPMC Medical Center Chief Dr. Ricardo Audan has suggested two possible explanations for the infant's brief revival. One of the possible explanations provided by Dr. Audan was a rare medical phenomenon called Lazarus syndrome, also known as autoresuscitation. This phenomenon occurs where patients achieve spontaneous return of circulation after being pronounced dead following cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Another possible explanation provided by Dr. Audan was that the cardboard box helped preserve the baby's body heat, inadvertently creating a stable thermal environment. Dr. Audan also responded to the family's complaint about the baby's condition upon discharge, stating that a more aggressive cleaning could have caused injury to the baby's fragile skin.

The hospital, SPMC, is willing to meet with the grieving family to discuss the case. The incident involving the preterm baby at SPMC has not been previously reported. The infant was rushed to the SPMC by a 911 emergency team after being born inside a tricycle.

Lazarus syndrome, a phenomenon that implies returning to life after being pronounced dead, was first reported in medical literature in 1982 by Linko et al., and the term was coined by Bray in 1993.

The family and the community continue to mourn the loss of the baby, and our thoughts are with them during this difficult time. The hospital's willingness to discuss the case with the family is a step towards understanding and healing.

Revived Newborn: Infant declared deceased, miraculously revives, subsequently passes away days later.