"Baby, Please Hang On. Let's Go See Your Mom"... 31-Week Preemie Born in Ambulance Discharged After 50 Days

Unable to breathe after birth inside an ambulance; received CPR
Recovered after 50 days of treatment in the intensive care unit

A premature baby who was born at 31 weeks of gestation in an ambulance on the way to the hospital and received CPR has been discharged in good health after about 50 days of treatment.

On Aug. 21, paramedics from the Seoul Jungnang Fire Station perform CPR on a baby born at 31 weeks of gestation inside an ambulance. Screenshot from a KBS news report.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters and other sources on Nov. 6, a pregnant woman in her 30s living in Seoul's Jungnang District called 119 for help at around 9:40 p.m. in August after suddenly experiencing contractions and bleeding while on her way to an obstetrics and gynecology clinic.

Paramedics from the Mangwoo 119 Safety Center of Jungnang Fire Station, who responded to the call, transported the mother to the hospital. They spoke with the obstetrics and gynecology clinic by phone and tried to shorten the transport time as much as possible, but her contractions worsened along the way, and delivery became imminent.

The paramedics ultimately decided to deliver the baby inside the ambulance. Lee Seungmin, one of the paramedics who responded, said the mother was extremely distressed and that they reassured her, saying, "We've received professional training, and we'll save both you and your baby."

With the paramedics' help, the mother gave birth inside the ambulance at around 10:15 p.m. But the newborn could not breathe properly on its own, and no cries could be heard. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), babies born at 28 weeks or later but before 32 weeks of gestation are classified as "very preterm."

Judging that the situation was serious, the paramedics received medical guidance and immediately began CPR on the newborn. Video footage from the time captured the urgency of the scene, as one paramedic continued emergency treatment while saying, "Baby, let's hang on. Let's go see your mom."

From left: Firefighters Kim Youngjin, Lee Seungmin, and Lee Siseong of Jungnang Fire Station. News1 (provided by the Seoul Metropolitan Government)

The paramedics continued emergency treatment even after arriving at the hospital, until just before handing the baby over to medical staff. As a result, the baby finally began crying and regained spontaneous breathing. They also provided the mother with necessary care, including establishing intravenous access, before transporting her to the hospital.

Footage from the time showed a paramedic shouting, "The baby is crying. It's alive. The baby is crying," and the mother bursting into tears of relief after hearing the news.

The baby was then transferred to the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit and received intensive treatment for about 50 days. The baby has now recovered and been discharged.

The guardian expressed gratitude on the Seoul Metropolitan Government's website, saying, "I still remember how they carefully monitored the baby's condition throughout the unexpected delivery, and calmly explained things to me, the guardian, and helped me feel reassured."

Lee Seungmin, Lee Siseong and Kim Youngjin, the firefighters who responded to the call, said, "We only did what we were supposed to do," adding, "As firefighters, the greatest reward is hearing that the baby has recovered and been discharged in good health."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.