- A woman collapsed and gave birth to a premature baby in her employer's driveway in Durban.
- The baby showed no signs of life and CPR was administered by a bystander until paramedics arrived.
- Both the mother and baby are in a stable condition.
Paramedics saved a premature baby after her mother suddenly collapsed and gave birth in her employer's driveway in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal on Monday.
According to Netcare 911 spokesperson Shawn Herbst, paramedics received a call at 08:27 from a distressed homeowner in Danville Avenue, Durban North, who reported that her domestic helper had collapsed in her driveway and was in the process of giving birth.
"Paramedics rushed to the scene and while en route, had received an update that the baby had been delivered, but showed no signs of life," Herbst said.
A member of staff from a nearby school who was qualified in first aid had rushed over to help and had initiated CPR.
"On arrival, paramedics found the neonate male lying on the floor with the placenta still attached, unresponsive and gasping for air.
"A full advanced life support resuscitation was initiated by a team of Netcare 911 emergency care practitioners who battled to fully revive the 24-week-old premature baby."
Herbst said the mother had been assessed and treated on scene who found her to be in a stable condition.
Following a concerted effort, the baby had begun to show signs of improvement and the child and mother were prepared for transport to hospital.
While en route, the child's physical appearance and vital signs had improved to an acceptable standard and both mom and baby were safely handed over to hospital staff.
"This once again highlights the importance of learning how to do effective CPR, as without this knowledge that the school staff member had, the outcome would have most likely been different," Herbst said.
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