Is there a doctor on the plane? Minnesotan helps deliver baby

On the trans-Atlantic flight to Boston, Dr. Natarajan Raman was sipping tea when the call came. The oncologist helped deliver a baby girl.

By LORA PABST, Star Tribune

Last update: December 31, 2008 - 10:59 PM

It's safe to say that Dr. Natarajan Raman, a radiation oncologist from Woodbury, doesn't usually get to deliver happy news like he did Wednesday morning.

"I'm usually dealing with patients at the end of life, so it was a very pleasant surprise dealing with the beginning of life," he said. "But I'm not planning to switch specialties."

Raman was on his way home from a trip to India when he helped deliver a baby girl on Northwest Airlines flight 59 from Amsterdam to Boston. As the plane soared over Canada, he was sipping a cup of tea and reading the newspaper when a call for any medical personnel came across the intercom.

A young woman was having contractions and was ready to give birth. Raman, who works at Hennepin County Medical Center, and a doctor from Massachusetts, Paresh Thakker, told the pilot that the baby would likely be delivered before the plane could make an emergency landing. They used the plane's emergency medical kit and the baby girl was born about 10 minutes later.

Even though it had been almost 20 years since he delivered a baby, Raman, who had been in India attending his 25th medical school reunion, said his memory was still intact.

"It just came right back to me," he said. "It's somewhere stored in the back of your mind and it comes together at the right time."

The flight landed at 10:29 a.m., about 90 minutes after the baby was born. The mother and baby were transported to Massachusetts General Hospital, where they were in good condition.

Chris Kelly, a spokesperson for Delta Air Lines, which acquired Northwest in October, said the company does not impose travel restrictions on pregnant women, though it recommends that women in their eighth month of pregnancy consult a doctor before flying.

"Births on flights do not happen very often, but our flight crews are prepared to deal with basic medical emergencies," Kelly said. "A further part of that training is to ask if there is a doctor on board for more serious medical situations, and a birth certainly qualifies."

A spokesman for Logan International Airport said for customs' purposes, the baby was considered a Canadian citizen because she was born over Canadian airspace. Raman said he was told that the mother was Ugandan and a U.S. resident.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Lora Pabst • 612-673-4628

Recent Local + Metro stories

3M chemicals found in residents' blood - December 31, 2008

3M chemicals found in residents' blood - Chemical levels in 196 adults are higher than national averages, but officials said their disease risk isn't greater. More