In a rare medical emergency, a 29-year-old woman from Bihar gave birth to one of her premature twins inside a moving cab, while her second baby was delivered just 10 minutes later at a Kolkata hospital. The mother and both newborns are now doing well following timely intervention by emergency doctors, obstetricians and neonatologists.
The woman, from Darbhanga in Bihar, was staying with relatives in Kolkata’s Salt Lake when she went into labour. She was 32 weeks pregnant with twins.
A few days ago, as her labour pains became stronger, her family booked a cab and rushed her to the nearest hospital. However, before reaching the facility, she delivered her first child, a baby girl, inside the moving cab at around 6:40 am.
The second twin remained in the womb, turning the situation into a medical emergency.
The cab reached Manipal Hospital Broadway, where doctors immediately examined the mother and the newborn. The baby girl was given initial neonatal support, while doctors determined that the mother needed specialised obstetric and neonatal care.
The medical team decided to shift the mother and baby to the hospital’s Salt Lake unit, where obstetric and neonatal teams were alerted in advance. Doctors and staff made arrangements for the emergency delivery even before the ambulance arrived.
Within minutes of reaching the Salt Lake hospital, the woman delivered her second child, a baby boy, in the emergency triage area at around 6:50 am — barely 10 minutes after his sister was born in the cab.
According to the hospital, the baby boy was born unresponsive. Doctors immediately began resuscitation and stabilised him.
Both premature babies were later shifted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where they received specialised care.
The mother remained under observation and was discharged after a couple of days. The baby girl spent seven days in the NICU before being discharged, while her brother required nine days of intensive care.
The hospital said both babies are now doing well.
Dr Paromita Kanjilal Chakraborty, Consultant in Emergency Medicine, said the positive outcome was possible because of the team’s quick assessment, rapid decision-making and coordination between different departments.
She said the case highlighted the hospital’s preparedness to deal with complex emergencies and the importance of coordination between emergency physicians, obstetricians, paediatricians and neonatal specialists.
The case is an unusual example of emergency childbirth, with premature twins being born at two different locations just minutes apart — one inside a moving cab and the other in a hospital emergency department.