Skyborn: in-flight emergency births on commercial airlines

Abstract

Abstract Background This study reports the global occurrence of in-flight emergency births on commercial airlines. To date, no existing research investigating in-flight emergency births has been published. Methods A retrospective study was conducted of all known in-flight births on commercial airlines between 1929 and 2018. Results Between 1929 and 2018, there were 74 infants born on 73 commercial flights. Seventy-one of the infants survived delivery, two died shortly after delivery and the status of one is unknown. Seventy-seven percent of the flights were designated international flights, and 26% of all flights were diverted due to the in-flight emergency births. The gestational age at delivery ranged from 25 to 38 weeks with 10% of the infants born at 37–38 weeks, 16% born at 34–36 weeks, 19% born at 31–33 weeks and 12% born prior to 32 weeks. Physicians, nurses, the flight crew and other medical personnel provided medical assistance in 45% of the births. Conclusion In-flight emergency births are infrequent but not trivial. Commercial airlines are dependent on physicians and other medically trained passengers to help with in-flight deliveries. Despite US Federal Aviation Authority and Joint Aviation Authority standards, on-board medical and first aid kits are depleted and inadequate for in-flight deliveries.