Baby born during flight - A Southwest flight heading to Phoenix from San Francisco on Tuesday was forced to divert to Los Angeles after a baby was born shortly after the plane took off.
Reports indicate that the expecting mother was with her husband aboard the Southwest Flight 623 when she went into labor. The couple are said to have been surprised.
Fortunately a doctor and a nurse were also passengers on the plane and assisted the woman to have her baby born during the flight. The flight crew also helped the mother and newborn with blankets. They reportedly requested a sharp object from passengers to cut the umbilical cord of the baby born during flight.
A female passenger reportedly provided a pair of scissors from her cosmetic bag. This was used to cut the cord.
Reports indicate that soon after the baby was born, the pilot broke the news of the additional passenger to the rest of the passengers, who cheered enthusiastically. The pilot also told the passengers that the plane had to be diverted to Los Angeles International airport because it needed to be cleaned and the baby born during flight needed medical attention.
The plane arrived in Los Angeles at around 7:30 a.m. The mother and newborn born during the flight, who had been looked after by the nurse and doctor, were handed over to the waiting paramedics.
LAFFD spokesman Erik Scott said the mother and baby born during flight were immediately provided medical treatment after paramedics went aboard the plane. They were both reportedly transported to a nearby hospital for proper check-up. Reports indicate that both the mother and child are in good condition.
Meanwhile, the remaining 111 passengers were provided with another aircraft, which continued their journey to Phoenix.
This is not the first time a baby has been born during flight on a Southwest Airlines aircraft. The previous incident was in 2009, when a baby boy was born in mid-air while a flight was en route to Salt Lake City from Chicago.
