Hirntote Frau gets a baby just before her death

Meningitis: Hirntote woman gives birth to healthy child and dies

About two years ago, a woman in Poland who had been brain-dead for almost two months had given birth to a healthy baby. Experts spoke at the time of a medical sensation. Now reports about a similar case from Berlin.

Brain-dead woman kept alive for almost two months

About two years ago, at the University Hospital Wrocław (Poland), a woman suffering from a brain tumor and being declared brain-dead was kept alive by physicians for 55 days so that her offspring could be born. It was not until the boy was born that the physicians discontinued life support for the mother. At that time there was talk of a medical sensation. Now the baby of a brain dead woman was born in Berlin too.

In Berlin the baby of a brain dead woman was born. The expectant mother was suffering from meningitis shortly before birth. (Image: Friday / fotolia.com)

Expectant mother fell ill with meningitis shortly before birth

According to media reports, the 25-year-old Franziska L. should deliver her third child in a few weeks.

But this did not happen because the young woman contracted a meningitis before delivery (meningitis) and was brain dead within a very short time.

However, doctors managed to rescue her daughter.

Pneumococcal infection

According to the information, the young woman complained of headaches and neck pain after a celebration with relatives and friends.

Apparently, the expectant mother initially thought the complaints had something to do with her pregnancy.

However, a pneumococcal infection with meningitis was diagnosed in the hospital.

Serious diseases caused by dangerous bacteria

Pneumococci are bacteria that in many cases cause infections such as sinusitis or otitis media.

However, potentially life-threatening diseases such as meningitis and blood poisoning can also be caused by these bacteria.

"Pneumococci are transmitted like a flu infection by droplet infection - for example, when coughing or sneezing," writes the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) on its website "impfen-info.de".

"The bacteria can be found in the nasopharyngeal space of many people without them getting sick. Therefore, they can be passed on by healthy people, "it continues.

Treatment with antibiotics

"Pneumococcal disease can be treated with antibiotics. However, resistance is on the rise so that the medication is worse off, "say the experts.

Also with Franziska L. the treatment with antibiotics did not seem to bring anything. In the hospital her condition worsened rapidly.

Finally, the young woman was declared brain-dead. As various newspaper report the doctors, however, could save her baby by caesarean section. (Ad)