Sad Ending For Baby Who Came 'Back To Life' In Morgue

Sad Ending For Baby Who Came 'Back To Life' In Morgue

A morgue worker in Colombia got quite the shock last week when a baby, believed to be dead, came "back to life."

According to the Associated Press, the 27-week-old infant was declared dead at 3:20 a.m. on Nov. 13 about 35 minutes after she was delivered prematurely via cesarean section. Ten hours later, when the baby girl's family came to collect the body from the hospital's morgue, an attendant noticed something unusual: signs of life.

The 1.9-pound baby, whose lungs were not yet fully developed, was swiftly airlifted from the rural town of Quibdó to a hospital in nearby Bogota for treatment. However, the story of the infant's unusual revival does not have a happy ending; the baby girl, who was named "Milagros," or "Miracles," passed away in the hospital's specialized care unit Monday night, according to local media.

Initial reports hold that the infant died of respiratory failure.

At the time the baby was found alive in the morgue, doctors hailed the recovery as a miracle since the premature baby was able to survive for so long outside of an incubator.

While it's still not clear exactly what happened, one specialist in the area offered an explanation.

"In some cases the heart movements are not perceptible even though the newborn is alive, they can declare it dead,” Dr. Javier Zagarra told weekly magazine Semana, according to Colombia Reports. "When they wrap the baby in a sheet, upon receiving warmth, the baby can then revitalize."

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