“Miracle” Baby Dies After Lotus Birth at Melbourne Hospital
The parents’ extensive birth plan included a lotus birth (leaving the placenta attached), many other refusals, refusal of transfer to the special care nursery. The baby died of an infection.
Source: r/insaneparents
Post Summary
A news article from the Sydney Morning Herald was shared about baby Harlow, born to the Laderman family at a Melbourne hospital after 13 years of IVF attempts. The parents’ extensive birth plan included a lotus birth (leaving the placenta attached), refusal of hepatitis B vaccination, refusal of Vitamin K, refusal of transfer to the special care nursery, and hourly vaginal seeding performed without hospital staff knowledge. The baby died. The case went to a coroner’s inquest. The parents subsequently started IVF again with remaining embryos and launched a crowdfunding campaign.
What is a Lotus Birth?
A lotus birth, known medically as umbilical cord nonseverance, is the practice of leaving the umbilical cord unclamped and uncut after delivery. The placenta remains physically attached to the newborn until the cord dries out and detaches on its own, typically 3 to 10 days after birth. During that time, the family carries the placenta alongside the baby, usually wrapped in cloth and treated with salt, herbs, or essential oils to slow decomposition and manage odor. The practice was named after Clair Lotus Day, who in the 1970s observed that chimpanzees did not immediately sever the cord, and was popularized through the homebirth and natural birth communities in the 1980s. It has no roots in any established medical tradition. No major medical organization endorses it. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the World Health Organization, and the American Academy of Pediatrics have all warned that the practice carries infection risk with no demonstrated benefit. Once the placenta is delivered, it has no blood supply, no function, and begins to decompose immediately. It is, in the most direct terms, dead tissue connected to a living baby's open vascular system.
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