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Passenger delivers baby on Saudi-Manila flight

Riyadh - This is not the first such incident to have taken place.

A woman delivered a baby mid-air on a Saudi Arabian Airlines plane after she went into labour while flying to the Philippines. Thanks to the quick-thinking cabin crew and an experienced obstetrics-gynecology consultant onboard the flight, the woman was able to deliver the baby safely.

According to reports in the Saudi Gazette, the plane was cruising at a high altitude when the woman started experiencing labour pains and it was almost impossible to make an emergency landing. That's when the cabin crew called for help and Dr. Jan Charmaine Almonte-Saret rushed to help the woman in labour.

Dr. Saret works at Aster Sanad Hospital in Riyadh and attempted to stall the delivery until the plane landed. However, she realized any further delay in delivery could lead to complications for the mother and her unborn child. Dr. Saret, who has over seven years of experience in Saudi Arabia said, "When it became evident that we would no longer be able to stall the delivery, I made a decision to put the lives of the mother and the baby first. This was the first time for me to deliver a baby under such circumstances."

The elated mother, who did not anticipate delivering mid-air, said, "I didn't plan to have my baby above the clouds, but my contractions were getting worse every minute. I feel so lucky that Dr. Saret was on board. Thanks to her I was able to feel safe throughout this incredible experience."