"No Hospital Will Accept"…Japanese Pregnant Woman Confirmed with COVID-19 Gives Birth at Home, Baby Dies

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] A tragic incident occurred in Japan where a pregnant woman infected with COVID-19 could not find a hospital to admit her and gave birth at home, resulting in the baby's death.

According to local media such as Kyodo News and NHK on the 19th, a woman in her 30s who was diagnosed with COVID-19 in Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture, and was recuperating at home, experienced sudden bleeding symptoms on the 17th. The woman, who was 29 weeks pregnant, contacted her obstetrician to inquire about hospitals that could admit her immediately, but none accepted her.

Eventually, after wasting several hours, the woman gave birth to a son at home. Due to premature birth, the baby required emergency care and was subsequently transported to a hospital but ultimately passed away. The mother's health was reported to be stable.

In Japan, for pregnant women infected with COVID-19, hospitals must prepare to perform cesarean sections in advance to shorten surgery time during delivery. There is also a need to quickly isolate the baby, but it is reported that hospitals capable of handling such cases are limited.

Following this incident, obstetricians in Chiba Prefecture held an emergency online meeting and decided to designate acceptance contacts in advance to prepare for sudden deliveries of pregnant women infected with COVID-19.

Regarding this, Kato Katsunobu (加藤勝信), Chief Cabinet Secretary and government spokesperson, also stated at a press conference that they plan to request local governments to strengthen their response to admitting pregnant women. Secretary Kato said, "I pray for the repose of the deceased newborn" and emphasized, "The government will ensure to provide necessary support to pregnant women."

Meanwhile, Japanese netizens responded with comments such as "Treatment for pregnant women should be prioritized if we think about the future," "The government needs to establish proactive measures first to prevent such tragedies," and "This is truly a sad incident. I sincerely pray for the child's soul."

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