- The baby was found after family members saw traces of blood in a garden
- The newborn was discovered by medics still attached to the umbilical chord
- She was buried overnight in Ghana, and was not found until 11am the next day
A newborn baby miraculously survived spending six hours trapped beneath soil after being buried alive by her mother.
The mother, 23, from Uganda, buried her baby in a garden just moments after giving birth with no medical assistance.
A case report from January states the newborn girl was buried during the night, and was not discovered until 11am the following morning.
The mother’s family members had discovered grisly trails of blood in the garden near her family home, leading them directly to the burial site.
After making an urgent call to the emergency services, medics rushed to the home to rescue the trapped infant who was found still attached to the placenta.
Miraculously, the baby was also showing signs of limb movement when touched and was taking worryingly shallow breaths.
Horror images showed the child covered in deep cuts and bruises, following the pressure of being stuck underground overnight.
Covered in mud and blood, the baby was pulled from the makeshift grave as medics scrambled to save her.
They immediately cleaned the baby and separated her from the placenta by clamping and cutting the remainder of the umbilical chord.
With tensions rising, they waiting for any other signs of life until a few minutes passed and the newborn passed a weak cry.
According to the case report, the child was cold to the touch and her skin had turned ‘bluish’ after being buried throughout the night.
In Ghana, from October to April, the weather during the night can drop to as low as 10C.
The rescuers desperately wrapped the girl in towels before dashing her to a local hospital for further checks.
When she arrived, the baby was displaying more signs of life and let out a vigorous cry – much to the medics relief.
The newborn had been cleaned at the site but doctors dashed to sterilise the wounds that still had traces of dirt in a bid to save the child from developing any infections.
She was placed in an incubator and received oxygen via nasal prongs as medics marvelled at how the tiny girl had survived the ordeal.
Further examinations revealed she had suffered no injuries to her heart, stomach, or any other organs.
Just six days later, the newborn was discharged from hospital and was back to breathing normally without an oxygen supply within 24-hours.
The newborn is now being raised by her grandmother, after her mother was taken into custody by local authorities for attempted infanticide.
She was then reportedly placed in a correctional centre, before being transferred to a psychiatric facility.
It comes after a newborn baby was rescued after being buried alive on a farm in India in November 2020.
Footage showed the infant being pulled from the earth after being spotted by a labourer who was working in the fields in the Khatima area near the border with Nepal.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
