Baby Dies After Man Attempts To Perform Wife's Delivery Procedure At Home Using YouTube Videos

An infant has died in India after a man attempted to perform his wife's delivery at home using Youtube videos, authorities said.

The police have arrested the man, identified as 34-year-old R. Lokanathan, who assisted his 28-year-old wife L. Gomathi, to deliver their baby at their home. The incident happened in a village in Ranipet in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Gomathi fell unconscious during the procedure, and the couple's child was delivered stillborn. The woman suffered profuse bleeding during childbirth and was later taken to a hospital. She is currently hospitalized in critical condition, police said, as reported by The Hindu.

The couple was expecting their baby on Dec. 13. Almost five days past her due date, Gomathi started to feel the labor pains and Lokanathan decided not to take his wife to a hospital or seek medical assistance. Instead, he allegedly took the help of his sister Geetha and attempted to perform the childbirth procedure at home using YouTube videos as a guide.

The officials have found out that Lokanathan did not take his wife for regular check-ups after she became pregnant. However, the incident came to light only after Gomathi was taken to a hospital along with her stillborn baby.

“Strict action will be taken against such practices risking the lives of the mother and the infant. More awareness on a safe delivery system will be done,” D. Bhaskara Pandian, a senior district official told the outlet. The district officials said they have set up a special investigation team to carry out the probe.

Meanwhile, the family members alleged that the Lokanathan performed the procedure with Gomathi’s permission and that there was nothing wrong on his part, The Indian Express reported.

In October, a teen girl in India reportedly delivered a baby on her own at her home with the help of YouTube videos. The 17-year-old girl from Malappuram, in the southern Indian state of Kerala, delivered a baby boy and cut the umbilical cord after watching YouTube videos. The girl was allegedly raped and impregnated by her lover and her family was reportedly unaware of her pregnancy.