A woman who has been in a comalike state since a 1985 car crash has given birth to a 2-pound, 11-ounce boy conceived when she was raped in her nursing home.
Doctors said they believe it is the first case of someone getting pregnant and having a baby while in a chronic vegetative state.The child, born two months premature, is breathing on his own and has an excellent chance of survival, said Dr. James Woods, whose medical team performed the natural delivery Monday at Strong Memorial Hospital.
As expected, the pregnancy had no effect on the 29-year-old mother's condition. "We never anticipated that the pregnancy by itself would bring any kind of miracle," Woods said.
Acting as guardians, the woman's Roman Catholic parents rejected an abortion on religious grounds and are said to be considering raising the baby. They have declined to be interviewed.
Their daughter was 19 and considering a career in psychology when her car skidded on ice and slammed into a tree on Dec. 20, 1985. A tire resting on the back seat tipped forward violently and banged her on the head.
While the pretty teenager's blue eyes opened and closed and she seemed somehow aware of her surroundings, the doctors' expectation that she would regain consciousness within a week proved false.
She was transferred to hospitals in Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Boston. Finally, in February 1995, she was moved to the newly opened Westfall Healthcare Center near where she grew up in Rochester.
In late December, the nursing staff noticed her belly was swelling.