Vacuum-Assisted Delivery For Maharashtra Woman With Spinal Cord Disorder

Doctors of a government hospital in Maharashtra's Jalna district carried out a vacuum-assisted delivery procedure to deliver a baby for a woman suffering from a spinal cord disorder.

The procedure was conducted at the Government Women's Hospital on Thursday, one of the doctors at the facility said.

The woman, Godavari Sundarlal (21), a resident of Rani Unchegaon village in Ghansawangi tehsil, was suffering from kyphoscoliosis disease, which renders the spine crooked, he said.

Because of the disorder, the space required for the baby in the uterus was less and her platelets had decreased by 78,000, making it difficult to perform a caesarean, the doctor said.

"Considering the scenario, we decided to perform a vacuum-assisted delivery. At least 17 medical staff, including doctors, were engaged in the task. After efforts that lasted two hours, the baby was delivered," hospital superintendent Dr R S Patil said.

Both the woman and the newborn are in a stable condition, he said.

A vacuum-assisted delivery is used to help move the baby through the birth canal when labour has been stalled, he said.

Under the procedure, a suction cup with a handle is placed on the baby's head to guide her through the birth canal and into the world, Dr Patil said.