The newborn was shifted to the Institute of Maternal and Child Health, Kozhikode, for specialised care.
A swift, coordinated response by doctors at Government District Hospital, Nilambur, saved the lives of a 25-year-old tribal woman and her newborn after a rare uterine rupture left the baby lying inside the mother’s abdominal cavity.
The woman from the Cheerakkuzhi tribal hamlet near Chugathara was brought to the hospital in an autorickshaw on Monday (July 20, 2026) with severe abdominal pain. She had received no antenatal care during the pregnancy. There had been no scans, blood tests, or even blood grouping.
By the time she reached the hospital around 10.40 a.m., her amniotic sac had ruptured, and thick meconium-stained fluid was draining. Senior gynaecologist Laxmy Rajmohan suspected a uterine rupture. The woman’s pulse was racing, the baby’s heartbeat was faint, and the shape of the uterus appeared abnormal.
“There was no time to lose. If we delayed, we could lose both mother and baby,” Dr. Laxmy said.
The woman had two previous caesarean deliveries and had been advised against another pregnancy due to a uterine abnormality. Doctors later found that she had uterus didelphys, a rare condition where the uterus has two separate cavities.
Though she was advised contraception after her second delivery, it was not done. As she continued to get her monthly periods, her pregnancy went unnoticed by her and local ASHA workers.
The Nilambur hospital does not have a neonatal intensive care unit, and such cases are usually referred to Kozhikode or Manjeri. But doctors felt she would not survive the delay involved in shifting her. The anaesthesia team cleared her for emergency surgery without waiting for routine investigations.
The operation confirmed the doctors’ fears. Thick meconium had spilled into the abdominal cavity. The uterus had ruptured completely, the placenta was protruding through the tear, and the baby was lying free inside the abdomen.
“It was difficult even to grasp the baby. We somehow delivered the child and immediately handed the newborn to the paediatrician,” Dr. Laxmy recalled.
The baby was shifted to the Institute of Maternal and Child Health, Kozhikode, for specialised care. Doctors repaired the ruptured uterus, and the woman recovered without requiring even a pint of blood. She is recuperating at Nilambur Hospital.
District Reproductive and Child Health Officer Pameeli N.N. described the incident as a “near-miss” case in maternal and child mortality.
“Our only priority was to save both lives. Everyone worked in tandem, from the autorickshaw driver and ambulance staff to the doctors, nurses, and support staff. That collective effort made the difference,” Dr. Pameeli said.
Dr. Laxmy led the procedure with the support of Dr. Aneesa, Dr. Nishana, anaesthesiologists Dr. Sreekanth and Dr. Fazil, paediatrician Dr. Mujeeb, nursing officers Sudha, Sindhu P. Tom and Bini, and anaesthesia technicians Liyana and Shilpa.
Published – July 22, 2026 08:31 pm IST
