Newborn baby's head pulled off from body during botched natural birth

The birth of a baby in Belém, Brazil ended in tragedy after he was decapitated during birth. The eight-month-pregnant Daira Oliveira de Souza was reportedly admitted to the Santa Casa de Misericórdia on Friday, October 16. The doctors there insisted that she give birth naturally even though the family had been previously advised to opt for caesarean section. After the baby's head was ripped off, the doctors had to remove the rest of the body by performing a caesarean section. The father, Roberto Lemos filed a police complaint. The child's body was handed over to the family for the funeral on Monday, October 19.

The 26-year-old woman travelled from Ourém to Belém to give birth to her son. The child reportedly had kidney problems so the family travelled to Santa Casa de Misericórdia. They believed that the hospital could provide the child with the medical attention he needed.

Doctors in Belém had advised the mother not to opt for natural birth due to the risk it posed to the child. However, at Santa Casa de Misericórdia, the medical team insisted for the mother to give birth naturally. During the delivery, de Souza was having difficulty pushing the baby out.

The mother's friend, Amanda Vieira, who witnessed the botched birth, told O Liberal how nurses kept massaging the mother's belly to push out the baby. Finally, one of the medics grabbed the baby's head and started pulling. The woman witnessed the baby's head getting ripped off and falling to the ground. She claims she screamed and ran out of the room.

De Souza was finally taken for caesarean section after the child had died. The baby's body was reportedly bloated.

The 25-year-old father filed a police complaint against the hospital on Saturday, October 17. Yesterday evening, the baby's remains were handed over to the family. It underwent a post mortem examination, the results of which will be released in 20 to 40 days. The police are investigating the case as a homicide.

After the mother was released from the hospital she was too physically and mentally shaken to attend the child's funeral. Other family members were present for the neonate's burial.