Baby that grew outside womb is born healthy

A BABY GIRL who grew outside her mother's womb for more than seven months has been born in good health at a hospital in Birmingham.

Regular scans during the pregnancy failed to show that the baby was lying in the abdominal cavity rather than the womb.

The first doctors knew of the unusual pregnancy was during an emergency Caesarean to deliver the child. When they opened up Deny Harris, 31, they found the baby lying 'bottom up' in the cavity. Emily Danielle Harris weighed 4lbs 7oz and is 'doing well' in the intensive care unit at Birmingham Maternity Hospital.

Such pregnancies are rare - about 1 in 100,000 births - and the chances of survival are slim for both mother and baby. If it had been detected, it is likely the pregnancy would have been terminated.

Martin Whittle, professor of foetal medicine at the hospital, said it was 'most unusual' that the baby survived. Mrs White had an unusual womb which had formed in two parts - one of which had ruptured.

'The pregnancy was lodged in one 'horn' of the womb, and when it ruptured the baby went through the wall of the womb and into the abdominal cavity.

'When we operated the placenta was still attached to the womb, which is very unusual in these cases.' In such instances the placenta usually attaches to the abdominal wall or the bowel, which is very dangerous.

Mrs Harris, of Rubery, Birmingham, had been experiencing severe pain since December last year and was admitted to hospital in January because it was feared she was at risk of haemorrhage.

Last Friday she underwent an emergency Caesarean section to deliver the baby eight weeks early.