32 year old woman from A woman from Tirupur district in Tamil Nadu died from excessive blood loss after giving birth to a baby at home, as investigators investigate whether the family relied on advice from YouTube videos in an attempt to ensure a “natural birth” rather than institutional medical care.
The woman, known as Sasikala, gave birth to a healthy baby boy, but she developed postpartum complications that claimed her life despite receiving medical care and treatment after her condition deteriorated.
According to investigators reported by NDTV, the woman underwent a caesarean section during her first pregnancy and has since developed an aversion to allopathic medicine. Police suspect that the family wanted to avoid another caesarean section and instead opted for a natural birth after following information available on YouTube.
“The family wanted to give birth naturally and hence did not follow up with government healthcare teams for regular check-ups and monitoring. We are conducting an investigation,” a police officer told NDTV.
Postpartum complications
The woman reportedly developed some complications related to the placenta after giving birth and suffered severe bleeding. She was rushed to Perundurai Government Medical College Hospital, from where she was later shifted to a private hospital. There she died despite treatment.
The newborn is reported to be in good health.
The police registered a case of murder not amounting to murder against the woman’s husband, identified by NDTV as Kulanthaisamy. This is despite the family not filing a complaint.
The police also cited sections of The National Medical Commission (NMC) Act 2019 in relation to the case. So far no one has been arrested.
Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the birth, including the role of unverified medical advice online and whether any unauthorized people assisted in the birth.
The Tamil Nadu Health Department has also launched a parallel investigation into the incident, including into whether the family skipped mandatory antenatal checkups and ignored repeated advice from public health workers.
