Woman gives birth to baby boy on a 11-hour transatlantic flight

A pregnant woman, who identified herself as GG, gave birth to a baby boy on a United Airlines flight travelling from Accra, Ghana, to Washington D. C.

Although she was not due until late February, she went into early labour when the flight was halfway across the Atlantic at 30,000 feet.

The labour pain prompted an onboard announcement for medical assistance.

According to Nancy Anane, a journalist onboard the flight, the announcement led to confusion among passengers.

"Most of them heard the call for assistance from medical personnel but didn't know what was going on. I became anxious for the safety of the baby and mother and the possibility of a detour for an emergency landing," she said.

Having heard the announcement, Dr Stephen Ansah-Addo, a dermatology resident at the University of Michigan, set about delivering the baby with the assistance of a nurse from Ohio, and a flight attendant, who was also a nurse.

They turned the area behind the flight's business class into a makeshift operation room with blankets and towels.

The mother's contractions were getting stronger and more frequent, and after just an hour, "screaming and the familiar cry of the baby" was heard.

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Dr Stephen explained to ABC News, "Myself, a nurse and the flight attendants... took [the mother] slowly through the process and she delivered a beautiful baby boy; I couldn't believe it was happening. But I was trying to stay calm."

Paramedics provided further care for GG and her baby after the flight landed at the Dulles International Airport in Washington.

"We were especially thrilled to see the plane land with one extra, especially beautiful, customer onboard," concluded United Airlines in a statement.

• Americas